Head of CBK PAN: the European space sector is moving towards security

The European space sector is increasingly focusing on security, which is why every thing developed in the field of space technologies essentially automatically falls into the category of so-called dual-use technologies, Piotr Orleański, director of the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, told PAP.

He emphasized that until recently, the European Commission and the European Space Agency avoided funding "dual-use" technologies (civilian and military applications), but today this trend is reversing. "The Polish authorities are also very clearly shifting their focus towards security, including space security," added Dr. Piotr Orleański.

In his opinion, space security involves the use of satellite or space infrastructure or technology to keep the Earth safe.

"This includes advanced Earth observation, secure space communications (not only for society, but also for government entities, the military, and businesses), and secure space navigation (because sometimes the GPS system fails). Added to this is the constant monitoring of satellites, space debris, and meteorites, which can also pose a direct threat. These are massive systems that monitor the sky 24/7 and send messages about potential threats, for example, to the International Space Station or satellites in orbit. Not forgetting the broad field of space robotics, which involves building new devices," said the director.

A month ago, the Polish Academy of Sciences completed a review of research institutes based on their competencies and potential for participation in defense programs. PAN President, Professor Marek Konarzewski, told PAP at the time that over 10 of them have significant potential in the area of ​​dual-use technologies. Among them is the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Director Orleański cited the Crisis Information Center as an example of security-related activities at the institute he heads. "This is a team of people who can very quickly access satellite imagery and provide the appropriate services with information about threats or the development of a crisis situation in practically real time (well, maybe with a delay of a few dozen minutes). We proved our worth a year ago during the flood in the Kłodzko Valley, when we were able to provide state administration services with processed and ready-to-use data in less than an hour," said Piotr Orleański.

Another example is a laser station (located near Poznań), which – by sending green beams of light visible from a distance – performs laser distance measurements to artificial Earth satellites and space debris, serving to continuously assess the state of space.

Another topic is space weather and related projects. As Piotr Orleański explained, cosmic radiation is associated with, among other things, solar flares, and the entire solar activity cycle affects the Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere. "The most spectacular display is, of course, the aurora borealis, but there is a whole range of such physical phenomena. Increased radiation doses caused by a solar flare can also cause problems with satellites. Of course, we are able to monitor this and predict threats, as well as the related changes to radio communications, which are also essential for the military," the scientist said.

The director also mentioned the construction of various types of space equipment at CBK PAN and the institute's design laboratories. "We are also developing space robotics, which includes the ability to service satellites in orbit. This requires not only advanced space robotics in terms of mechanisms, but also advanced vision systems for image analysis, based on artificial intelligence and advanced computers. In the future, this will also serve security," Orleański pointed out.

- We are in the Polish Academy of Sciences and we have our specific civilian conditions based on scientific programs, but I do not deny that many of our technologies for building standard scientific instruments can be transferred to the dual-use area - emphasized the director.

He added that two paths are being observed in the development of space-related sciences. "On the one hand, speaking of science in the sense of fundamental sciences – physics, astronomy, etc. – we see a steady decline in funding. Many research institutes in the United States, but also in Europe, are beginning to struggle to find funding for specific research projects, and the possibilities for purely scientific experimentation in space are becoming limited. On the other hand, I see a shift in funding towards more applied and technological programs related to safety. However, it's difficult for me to predict how this will unfold," concluded Piotr Orleański.

Agnieszka Kliks-Pudlik (PAP)

Science in Poland

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