Sławosz Uznański will fly into space, possibly in August 2024
Kielce, 16.09.2023. ESA reserve astronaut Sławosz Uznański. Photo: PAP/Piotr Polak
'We hope that in November this year, the European Space Agency (ESA) will officially decide on the mission of Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański, who could fly into space as early as August 2024,’ Waldemar Buda, Minister of Development and Technology, said in Łódź.
On August 8 this year it was announced that the second Pole in history would fly into space. This was confirmed by the Minister of Development and Technology. 'History is happening before our eyes. Our second astronaut in the history of Poland will undertake a space mission. We will present our candidate Sławosz Uznański,’ Buda announced nearly two months ago.
During a space picnic for children and youth in the Łódź Special Economic Zone, the minister said that Uznański's mission seemed to be secured. 'We do not have a +plan B+. We presented Sławosz as our candidate, he is our best man who can fly into space. In November, ESA will officially decide on the mission of the second Polish astronaut, Sławosz Uznański, who could fly into space as early as August 2024,’ Buda added.
The Polish astronaut has not yet announced the date of the flight. 'We will have to wait for that. This is a discussion with international partners and there is no official date at the moment,’ Sławosz Uznański told PAP during the Łódź picnic.
'I can't wait', he added. 'I would like to be well prepared for this flight. What I feel is great respect for this rocket, for its energy that carries the astronauts into orbit. There is certainly some fear, but there is also a lot of excitement on my part.’
Astronaut and engineer Sławosz Uznański has a doctorate in electronics. He works at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). He was born 39 years ago in Łódź where he graduated from the city’s University of Technology. The European Space Agency selected Uznański to join ESA Astronaut Reserve.
The Ministry of Development and Technology announced in the summer that in 2023, Poland increased its financial contribution to ESA by EUR 295 million. Thanks to this, as the ministry representatives emphasised, Polish companies will be able to participate in many programs for the development of technologies, products and services in the field of satellite communication, navigation and Earth observation. (PAP)
Hubert Bekrycht
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