To enhance its intelligence capabilities, Poland is participating in the international development of a new satellite constellation, with a test launch scheduled from an airbase in California at the end of this week. This is reported by UNN with reference to Satnews.
Details
The development of new satellites for the Polish armed forces is being carried out by a consortium of the Finnish manufacturer ICEYE, in cooperation with Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności No 1, which is a subsidiary of the Polish state defense group PGZ and part of the national satellite intelligence system.
This is Poland's first military satellite with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system.
The project is included in the main goal of providing an Earth observation system for the Polish armed forces, against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale military aggression against neighboring Ukraine.
In November, the first three military satellites will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-15 mission. The launch plans were moved from November 11, which coincidentally is Veterans Day in the States, to November 22. The launch will take place from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
According to the contract signed by the Polish Ministry of National Defense with the consortium of manufacturers last May, the country's military will receive at least three satellites under the MikroSAR program with an option to purchase three more spacecraft. The initial amount of the agreement is about 860 million zlotys (237 million US dollars).
Recall
In September, the first 21 satellites from a new constellation, which is to become the basis for the US missile defense system, were successfully launched in the United States. This is the first time that the space segment will be fully integrated into the combat operations of the American forces.