In Los Angeles, on March 16, in the presence of the Minister of Economy and Technology, Piotr Nowak, the president of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) Prof. Grzegorz Wrochna and the president of Virgin Orbit, Dan Hart, signed a letter of intent regarding the use by Poland of the LauncherOne technology, designed to carry objects into space using a rocket attached to a specially adapted aircraft. POLSA will analyze the possibility of taking off from the territory of Poland.

The letter assumes that POLSA will conduct a detailed analysis of the usefulness of LauncherOne for the needs of Polish science and economy, in terms of the possible choice of Virgin Orbit as a partner in future projects involving the launches of such objects in Poland.

The subject of further feasibility studies may also include mission concepts, clarification of the technical and organizational assumptions of the entire project, as well as a “road map” aimed at the maximum use of the entire project as a development impulse for Polish industry in the STEM area (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths).

Virgin Orbit has declared its readiness to provide a solution tailored to the needs and requirements specified by POLSA, which will include ground support and an appropriate aircraft.

Piotr Nowak, the Minister of Development and Technology emphasized that today’s event is the next stage in building a sovereign satellite system by Poland. “This is especially important in the current geopolitical situation. The development of new technologies, including navigation, Earth imaging and telecommunications, are irreplaceable in ensuring national security and solving crisis situations”, said Nowak.

LauncherOne is a system consisting of a specially adapted plane, the so-called “Carrier” (Boeing 747-class jet) and a rocket launched from its deck at a height of about 10-11 km, capable of placing a load of a total mass of up to 300 kg in low Earth orbit.

Adrian Andrzejewski