Polish Spaceflight
Mirosław Hermazewski as a First Polish Astronaut
In 1978, Polish fighter pilot General Mirosław Hermaszewski became the 89th person in space aboard Soyuz 30. He spent eight days on the Salyut 6 space station, conducting scientific experiments as part of the Interkosmos program. His mission marked a major milestone for Poland in space exploration.
During his mission, Hermaszewski contributed to 11 experiments, including:
- Observing Earth’s surface and the aurora borealis.
- Producing semiconductor crystals in the Splav furnace for infrared detection.
- Measuring lung capacity and heart rate using Polish devices.
- Testing taste changes with the elektrogustometr.
- Studying sleep, food, and crew interactions to improve time management in space.
He also continued Czechoslovak-Soviet experiments on chlorella, oxygen production, and heat output changes in microgravity.
Joining the European Space Agency
Poland joined ESA in 2012. In 2022, ESA selected 17 individuals from 22,500 applicants for its fourth astronaut class. Five became astronaut candidates, and 12 were placed in the reserve pool, including Sławosz Uznański from Poland. Reserve astronauts may be chosen for specific projects with potential to become full astronauts.
Sławosz Uznański: Next Polish Astronaut
The mission to the International Space Station, featuring Polish astronaut Dr. Sławosz Uznański, has been officially named IGNIS, meaning ‘fire’ in Latin. This name symbolises energy, creativity, and passion, which form the foundation of our efforts and this groundbreaking project. The Polish mission is a technological and scientific endeavour that aims to benefit Poland and the international community.
A short summary of the mission:
- Mission Name: IGNIS, which means “fire” in Latin, symbolising energy, creativity, and passion.
- Mission Goal: To develop the competencies of the Polish space sector and commercialise space technologies.
- Astronaut: Dr. Sławosz Uznański, a member of the ESA Astronaut Reserve, was selected in November 2022.
- Duration: 14 days
- Experiments: The mission includes experiments in microgravity in fields such as astronaut health, microbiome studies, new materials, and artificial intelligence.
- Number of experiments: 13
- International Cooperation: Part of the commercial crewed Ax-4 mission involving ESA, NASA, SpaceX, and JAXA.
- Training: The mission crew undergo rigorous training in Germany, the USA, and Japan.
- Launch: Planned launch with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, onboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft late spring 2025.
With the involvement of Polish companies and scientific institutions, the mission will carry out experiments expected to advance medicine, biology, engineering, and space technologies. Notable examples include studies on the human microbiome, testing innovative materials, and exploring projects in artificial intelligence. This is a significant opportunity for the Polish space sector to build unique competencies and accelerate the commercialisation of space technologies’, emphasised Minister of Development and Technology Krzysztof Paszyk during the conference, where the name and symbol of Poland’s manned mission to the International Space Station were unveiled.