Poland moves to conquer the cosmos. Prof. Wolanski: We are well equipped for this task having significant successes on our account.
In July, the Polish Parliament passed a new law calling to existence Polish Space Agency (POLSA). This "Polish NASA" is primarily designed to help national companies to participate in projects carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA). Is this a new era of Polish presence in space? According to Professor Piotr Wolanski - yes and this new era has already started, because Poland for many years already is actively involved in research surrounding Earth and the planetary research in of our Solar System. "We have great achievements" - says the scientist in an interview with Onet.pl portal. Do we have a chance to send a second astronauts after Mirosław Hermaszewski into space? - "I believe so but I hope this time it will be a lady" - says Wolanski.
The task of newly formed Polish Space Agency - POLSA is to co-ordinate all activities in the field of Polish space exploration, right?
Yes, provided, however, that POLSA will employ specialists who know well the problems of space research and the structure of our industry and research institutions. It would be a misunderstanding if the basic structure of the agency was created with officials having a political background only. The most important action of the POLSA is to create a Polish space policy and stimulate the development of the space industry in Poland.
POLSA is also supposed to assist in raising funds from European Space Agency - ESA and become actively involved in it's research. In what areas can Poland become a part of the ESA research?
In the association agreement with ESA Poland has a guaranteed return of about 90 percent of our contributions paid in support of ESA compulsory programs and so called - optional programs, in which we agree to participate. In total Poland annual contribution to the ESA budget is around 30 million euros and it is 90% of this amount we should be able to recover in the form of grants for projects carried out by ESA. POLSA task in this regard will focus on the support of all efforts to make full use of these resources in the country and on appropriate placement of available funds in optional programs. In contrast, the most important role of the Agency will be to support Polish companies in the process of obtaining EU funds designated to support space programs financed from the EU budget, such as e.g. Galileo and Copernicus.
In contrast to the ESA within the EU the principle of geographical return where (as in our case) 90% of funds paid into the common budget returns to a particular Member State does not apply. Today we receive only 0.5% of our contribution to the EU budget dedicated to space projects. Another task of POLSA will be therefore also offering help in getting more and bigger projects supported from the EU funds allocated to space activities.
Poland for many years already is actively involved in research of space surrounding Earth, research of our Sun or our Planetary System. We have here quite significant achivements. For instance devices built at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences were sent to study the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, they were also a part of equipment on board of the Mars Express and Venus Express satellites, and now the polish instruments will examine the structure of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In the past many such instruments have also studied the Sun in the X-ray radiation spectrum or plasma within the Earth's magnetic field. Two Polish scientific satellites called LEM and Hovels (pol. Heweliusz), are now studying the dynamics of the bright stars together with Austrian and Canadian satellites of the "BRITE" constellation.
These are very important research achievements of cognitive value, but the mainstream of our space activities should be directed to common applications of space research, which means to such that brings direct benefits as for instance remote sensing, navigation, meteorology or design and construction of rocket systems. These are new areas for us. Remote sensing, navigation, meteorology and satellite communications we use practically on a daily basis, but only as recipients of these space services sold or provided by others, who therefore receive a maximum benefits. We should also become providers of those services, which at very high global competitiveness will not be so easy to achieve hence the support of POLSA will be more than needed.
I believe that our companies, which are currently working within the aviation and defense industries have full capability to inclued these services in their product portfolio. Furthermore we can also become involved in the production of new rocket systems, small for the start, designed to lift satellites with a mass of 100-250 kg. At the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw (pol. Instytut Lotnictwa) we have developed a unique - at the European scale - technology of producing a highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide. This is a very strong oxidant that will be used as propellant, driving space rockets and satellites. I must highlight here that the rocket technologies are generating the largest industrial profit. Few people also know that if not closed in '60, our Polish rocket building program could lead to Poland becoming the third country in the world, who have placed artificial satellite on Earth's orbit.
How does the Polish space industry look like? What instruments are being produced by Polish companies that could be used in space?
Polish space industry is currently "under construction". Polish Space Industry Association (also known as Association of Employers of the Space Sector, pol. Związek Pracodawców Sektora Kosmicznego, www.space.biz.pl) includes already more than 30 companies and research institutes. These are the companies whose standards, quality and subjects of interests are already very similar to the requirements, which must be met when constructing space equipment and rockets. I am confident that this number will grow very quickly, as there are in Poland, more than one hundred companies and institutions, which in the judgment of ESA can quickly acquire space-industry qualities. Already now more than 180 companies have already registered at the ESA professional portal for companies (EMITS, www.emits.sso.esa.int).
What are the key specialities of the Polish space sector? Are we better or just cheaper?
It is difficult at this moment to talk about specialization of the Polish space sector, but I am confident that in a few years from now a crystallization of certain directions will occur. It seems today that the space robotics, small satellites, and ecological rocket and satellite drives (engine systems) may in the near future become Polish specialties. I am convinced that we can catch up with companies operating already for many years in these areas, and that our cost will be for sure very competitive for many years to come! The support of POLSA and the recognition of these areas as priorities for the Polish space policy is therefore very important.
In Poland, we developed and produced more than 70 scientific instruments including for instance sensors to measure the temperature and thermal conductivity THP SENSOR, mounted on board of the lander in the Cassini-Huygens mission, which in January 2005 touched the surface of Titan - Saturn's moon. The measurements made by this sensor allowed to understand the properties of the surface of this celestial body. Polish engineers from CBK PAN (pol. Centrum Badan Kosmicznych, Polska Akademia Nauk Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences) have also developed, among others, power system and scanner for the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer designed to analyse the spectrum of radiation emitted and reflected by the surface and atmosphere of Mars under the Mars Express mission. Another example of a tool built by Poles is for instance a part of the most important set of equipment on board the probe Rosetta. MUPUS - a multi-purpose instrument for measuring physical properties, built in the CBK PAN, will soon be studying the properties of the nucleus of Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet.
In Poland, we design and build also very precise time receivers that allow to compare the signals of navigation satellites, and then designate the difference between indications of their clocks. Such solutions by Piktime Systems - a Polish company - are being used by the time laboratory of the main ground control station to the European satellite navigation system Galileo in Italy. In Poland we also developed the navigation system "Automap", which has gained popularity due to the integration of different satellite techniques.
I have quoted here only a few examples of the application of the many Polish instruments or sensors on board of the international space satellites and probes.
POLSA is to have a budget of the order of 5-10 million zlotych (PLN, 1 USD = 3.32 PLN) per year, while NASA over the next five years intends to spend on space missions only $44 billion. Comparing to the US agency, we appear very poorly. What is the POLSA wallet good for?
In Poland, current POLSA budget at this stage of development is mostly designated for organization and coordination of research activities with ESA. This budget does not include contributions to the international organizations (paid currently by individual ministries) or funding for national programs. I hope that in the future, this budget will be increased so that the country could establish space programmes, independent on international organizations. It would be good if at the beginning such budget could be equal to 1% of the NASA's budget, which is about 300 million zlotych.
What are the main tasks, which you for the Polish Space Agency? In what do you see the greatest hope for the success?
As already mentioned before, this is the coordination of space research, but above all, the creation of a national space policy and the construction of the Polish Space Programme, in which the interests of our country in conjunction with our membership in the ESA and the extensive cooperation with other space agencies would play a key role. My greatest hope is to create by POLSA, a strong Polish Space Programme and the consolidation under this program of Polish scientific, industry as well as national safety activities.
Three Polish satellites has been launched into Space already. PW-Sat, Lem and recently Hevelius. It there another launch in planning?
Yes, students form the Warsaw University of Technology are working for over a year by now on a satellite: PW-Sat2. It is to be twice the size of the PW-Sat, and, of course, is to have more tasks to perform. The construction of this satellite is benefited by the experience gained during the construction of the first PW-SAT satellite. Also new systems will be tested. Furthermore, students from AGH (pol. Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza) together with students from Germany are also involved in the construction of new cubesats (miniature, cube shaped satellites for space research). Those student satellites are primarily designed to fulfill educational tasks and to allow for gaining the experience by students in the construction of a satellite equipment. These also serves a purpose of preparing qualified staff for the quickly emerging Polish space industry.
The aim of POLSA will be however the support of the construction of satellites with multiple practical applications such as e.g. the observation of the state forest areas, agricultural crops, water reservoir, pollution, or providing images with high resolution for the purposes of geological surveying. Furthermore POLSA will aim to support the construction of telecommunications satellites or participation in the construction of equipment for scientific satellites, serving for instance the purpose of earthquakes prediction, study of the surrounding space, planets, asteroids and the Sun. In these latter task we have already many successes at the level of international missions. For instance mentioned before penetrator MUPUS, which in early November will study the structure of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko within Rosetta mission. I am convinced that within POLSA we will build our own satellites, but we will also participate in international consortia for the construction of meteorological, navigation and observation satellites under the EU Copernicus programme.
Did a new era begun together with the establishment of the Polish Space Agency? Will Poles conquer the space?
Poles already for many years are actively involve in the study and exploration of space. More than 70 scientific instruments were already built in Poland, initially at the Institute of Aviation and then mainly in the Space Research Centre, and sent into space as part of international missions. Initially under the "Intercosmos" programme and later in cooperation with ESA, NASA and other space agencies. I am deeply convinced that the Polish role in the conquest of space will be at least adequate to the role of our country in the world.
Will we live long enough to see the successor of Mirosław Hermaszewski thanks to the Polish NASA counterpart? Will we send a second Pole into space?
I am convinced that yes, we will and I hope this will be a lady, however I do not exclude this may also be a man. To date, no parity is set for an equal participation in space flights between astronaut ladies and astronaut men. Only about 10 % of space flight crews are currently women, and I think that this inequality should be corrected. This is even more so that there are no indications for astronaut-ladies performing in space worst than their male colleagues. I am convinced that the next recruitment of candidates for manned space missions of ESA will include in the selected group representatives from Poland. Those who will want to join this elite group, should be aware that in addition to excellent physical condition, they will need to have a very extensive knowledge and experience in the relevant fields relating to the exploration of space.
In far-reaching plans do you have a vision of space expeditions carried out by POLSA?
Yes, I think that in many. Except that unlike in the first decades of the space conquest ruled by a very strong competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, now large space missions are mostly international as for instance the International Space Station "Alpha" or interplanetary missions, such even as I have already mentioned Rosetta mission Cassini-Huygens. Large space agencies such as NASA, JAXA (Japanese Space Agency) or China Space Agency (CNSA) can afford to pursue their dedicated space missions. Countries even much bigger than Poland can participate in large missions / expeditions only in the framework of international projects. It's hard to imagine that a manned mission to Mars could be implemented by one only, even the richest country in the world.
And what about Mars? Our students are winning the Mars rover challenges on almost regular basis by now. Will their efforts bring any measurable benefits to POLSA?
This is a very good example of what we can achieve in the field of automation and space robotics. The first student rover was a Martian platform called "Scarab" (pol. Skarabeusz) built by students from the Student Science Club "SKA" of the MEiL faculty at the Warsaw University of Technology. Thanks to this other student groups from the Bialystok University of Technology, Rzeszow University of Technology as well as other Polish universities joined the competition and celebrated spectacular, international successes!
These groups of students working on Mars rovers, like students building the cubesats, are examples of young people gaining a lot of experience in the field of space robotics. They will become young members of staff in the developing, Polish space industry. The experience gained at the construction of students' Mars rovers, or cubesats, can also be used not only in the implementation of unmanned missions to Mars, but in the construction of robots to clean the orbital space from junk, servicing broken and aging satellites or even in unmanned missions sent to explore asteroids.
For many, the colonization of Mars sounds like the script of a science-fiction film. However, one can read about such plans of NASA in various media. How do you realistically assess the possibility and importance of a manned mission to Mars and its colonization?
After last flight to the moon during the "Apollo" programme, NASA tried to convince US Congress to support manned expedition to Mars before the end of the last century. They were even testing already nuclear rocket engines "NERVA" for this purpose. However, the Apollo program demonstrated unquestionable dominance of the United States over the Soviet Union, so there was no political motivation to implement such new course. Plans for flights to Mars have been accepted at the beginning of the XXI century by the President George W. Bush, but recent President - Barack Obama, due to very high costs, changed them to plans aiming at flights to asteroids.
I am convinced however that in this century it will come to a manned expeditions to Mars. This will, however be a result of international missions, in which nuclear propulsion drive will be used, either directly or as a drive using a "VASIMR" type of an engine, for which they will need electrical energy delivered by the nuclear power generators. Large and efficient space propulsion systems can significantly reduce the time of flight to Mars, but the colonization of Mars will require a huge financial input. Colonization of Mars beyond research aspects will be focused on finding sources of raw materials, which we will sooner or later run out on Earth.
Next Mars rover is supposed to take on a task in searching for life on the Red Planet. This question is widely present in the field of science fiction, but do you think that there is life beyond our planet?
Yes, this question has long preoccupied our minds and still remains without a clear answer. Once the Earth was considered the center of the universe, and today we know that this is one small object in the vast galaxy, and similar galaxies are huge in number. We are such a very, very small part of the universe.
And life? Still many people do not believe in the existence of life beyond our planet, because at the moment we can only see the positive answer in the category of faith. We have no empirical , scientific evidence that life exists somewhere else in the universe. I am deeply convinced however that life exists in many regions of the cosmos, because it's hard to imagine it any other way. No one knows when we shall become confronted with a clear answer, but we have to take action to seek for the answer.
NASA is building the largest rocket ship in the world. Will be ready already 2018 years - Superrakieta will be able to be used for a manned flight to Mars and far space exploration. According to the most optimistic forecasts, manned flight around the moon will be possible already in 2019. - X-news
Has life ever existed on Mars? Probably in a simple form in the past, if there was water on Mars and more dense atmosphere than today. Life can also exist in the ocean under the ice crust of Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter. They've even started to consider plans to send a mission to study this moon. We all are fascinated by the question of the existence of other, non-intelligent life in space. This is still a domain of science fiction, but some scientific studies indicate that in space there could be a lot of very advanced civilizations. However, the vast distances between stars in our galaxy, not to mention the intergalactic distances, do not give us a chance, under the present state of knowledge and technology, to establish closer contacts with them.
The question of the existence of life in the universe beyond our planet will therefore remain unanswered for some time yet, but I am pretty confident that sooner or later we will find a positive answer to this question!
Prof. dr hab. inż. Piotr Wolanski is a chairman of the Committee on Space Research at the Polish Academy of Sciences. He is also a professor at the Faculty of Power Mechanics and Aeronautical Engineering at the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw (MEiL PW). He initiated the establishment of the Students' Space Club at the Faculty of MEiL PW and for over a decade now he is it's mentor. Under his guidance, the students built the first Polish satellite "PW-SAT". He specializes in the fields of combustion, explosions, space drives, asteroid collisions with planetary bodies, astronautics and space exploration. He is a winner of many awards. Honored, among others with a Gold Cross of Polonia Restituta, Gold Cross of Merit, the Medal of National Education Committee and with the Prize of the Minister of Science and Higher Education for lifetime achievement.
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