Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski for CIS: Poland must make money on innovation, not be just a customer

• The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are finalizing a cooperation agreement covering lunar missions and robotics development, says WNP Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski.
• As our interlocutor admits, the IGNIS mission in which he participated increased the recognition of the Polish space sector and brought concrete economic results.
• Poland faces a key decision regarding its involvement in European Space Agency (ESA) programmes that could define its role in European technological security.

We're meeting in Japan, where you participated in the Polish-Japanese Investment Forum and the National Day events as part of Poland's participation in the World Expo in Osaka. Do we also have relations in the space field? What is the cooperation between the Polish and Japanese space agencies like? Are there any new projects?

Japan is a very important partner in the International Space Station program. It has over 12% ownership of the ISS and the largest laboratory, Kibo. By comparison, the European Space Agency, which has 23 member states, has an 8.3% share and operates the Columbus laboratory.

Poland and Japan are preparing a space agreement.

JAXA, or the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, is incredibly technologically advanced. In March, a major cooperation agreement was signed between ESA and JAXA to strengthen cooperation in space exploration . I attended this event as a representative of ESA astronauts.

In parallel, during the Japanese portion of my pre -IGNIS training, bilateral meetings were held at the Polish Embassy in Tokyo between the Polish Space Agency and our Japanese partners. We were able to identify directions in which our countries could expand their cooperation. POLSA and JAXA are currently preparing to sign an agreement that will create a framework for implementing joint projects .

Key areas of Polish-Japanese cooperation currently include exploration missions (we could consider a joint lunar mission – both countries have excellent scientists and engineers in this area), cooperation within the Artemis program, system interoperability, and the development of automation and robotics. In the future, it will also be important to find joint projects after the ISS ceases operations, which is currently planned for 2030.

Speaking of future directions, what opportunities do we have for cooperation? The Polish Space Agency's resources are significantly more limited than those of other…

"POLSA represents us in strategic talks, and we hope to sign an agreement, followed by specific contracts with Japan, opening technological programs that Poland could co-create. This would create jobs for our talent in automation, robotics, system interoperability, and critical infrastructure in space, and would also enable the engagement of our scientists."

The IGNIS mission boosted science and the economy

As part of the Axiom-4 mission, you conducted the IGNIS mission and became the first Pole to reach the International Space Station (ISS). What practical implications does this space adventure have for the economy and industry?

"That's a great question. The return on investment in space is like a newly opened bridge—you have to wait for cars to drive over it . However, we're already seeing a rise in interest in technical studies, despite the demographic decline. The real impact on the job market will be visible in a few years. During the IGNIS mission, Poland gained full access to the orbital laboratory that is the ISS for the first time. We're already seeing positive effects for the Polish space sector. It has gained greater global recognition, new investments have emerged, and we're also seeing results from the implementation of specific projects on the ISS."

For example, KP Labs sent its computing platform to the ISS. The Polish computer allows for testing AI algorithms in space. As a result, KP Labs became a solutions provider for the MAGPIE lunar rover and is collaborating with ESA. In the future, such systems could be crucial for, for example, the European IRIS and IRIS² satellite constellations.

Technologies from orbit in the service of security

Space technology is also crucial for security. How do you see its role?

Technological support from space is a global service – communication, navigation, Earth observation, and now also a significant increase in space support for defense . Europe treats this as a priority, and in Poland the need is especially strong.

The European Space Agency wants to play its part here and is well-positioned to do so. Solutions often emerge from exploration programs and scientific missions, and can then also be used in the security field. ESA identifies 16 priorities, including critical infrastructure and autonomous systems capable of navigating challenging terrain. Automation, robotics, and AI are areas where Poland has enormous potential. The exploration program drives innovation and attracts young people to science, but it also ensures the development of solutions for defense.

Student experiments on board the ISS

At the Osaka Expo, you presented the GraviTE experiment, developed by students and PhD students from the AGH University of Science and Technology. The experiment is currently being prepared for space, aboard the ISS. What did it involve?

"This project was selected in the Direction Space competition, which I initiated before the decision was made about the Polish space mission, and which we implemented together with the New Space Foundation. The experiment examines how the skeletal system changes in orbit, based on in vitro data acquisition electronics. As we know, bones demineralize in space, which is similar to osteoporosis. Thanks to such research, we can better understand and treat this process on Earth as well."

I hope the experiment will receive funding to fly to the ISS and conduct research. Polish companies and institutes have prepared 13 scientific and technological experiments, which I managed to conduct during the ISS mission. It's important that further projects from Poland be brought aboard the station. Students and PhD candidates from Polish universities are already proving that, as the youngest generations of our space sector, they are capable of ensuring its development.

Do you feel the effects of space flight?

"I feel good; I quickly adapted and recovered from my time in orbit. Now I have several months of intensive meetings at Polish universities ahead of me, which I hope will also be supplemented by meetings with schools and the wider public."

Poland before deciding on its future in ESA

You mentioned another Polish space mission. Is such a plan in the works, and what are Poland's priorities at ESA?

"At this point, it's a bit premature to talk about another Polish manned space mission, but we're at a very critical juncture in Poland's decision-making process regarding our overall commitment to space . The European Space Agency's Ministerial Council is taking place in November. During this meeting, Poland will define its priorities in ESA programs and, above all, the level of its commitment. These decisions will financially affect the next three years, but strategically will have significance for a dozen or so years ahead. We're at a point where we can gain a great deal without squandering the potential we've built over the past few years, thanks in part to the IGNIS mission."

What could be Poland's priorities in this regard?

For the first time in history, the European Space Agency is openly embarking on building security technologies through the ERS – European Resilience from Space program. This program builds technological resilience for Europe's security, and I hope that Poland will be a leading member of this program, deciding for the first time on such a scale about Europe's technological future.

At the same time, by shaping this direction of the European space sector, we will be able to take care of the area that is currently our highest priority – the security of our country.

I also hope that our subscription to ESA will allow us to maintain an astronaut position in the permanent ESA corps, which will open the way to further projects related not only to manned space flights, but also in the broader area of ​​exploration.

Investing in space means real profit and development

In the government's latest draft budget for 2026, spending on science and higher education has been virtually frozen . How can space technologies be developed when there are no funds?

"These are difficult decisions, but I believe that science and technology are our future. Countries that invest in space emerge stronger from crises. ESA and other agencies show return-on-investment metrics – in the UK, it was £7.50 for every pound spent. The global space market is growing by 10–15% annually and, according to McKinsey, will reach $1.8 trillion by 2035."

How would you convince skeptics who think spending on space is a fad?

"I'd go straight to hard data. The return on investment in space technologies ranges from 4:1 to even 8:1 . And as an economy among the twenty most developed in the world , we can't afford to be just a customer when buying technology – it boils down to financing the development of innovation in other countries, not building strategic value in Poland."

We have the potential to create innovations in Poland and utilize them for our own needs, including in priority areas like security. But we can also make money by selling innovations to others.

And beyond the economic benefits, there are also social benefits—jobs, educational advancements, and the retention of Polish talent in the country. Space technology allows young people to dream and realize those dreams.

Returning to Osaka, what role did you play at the World Expo?

"I was the ambassador for the Polish Pavilion and represented our country. I also visited the JAXA pavilion and the national pavilions of the USA, India, and Hungary – it was with representatives of these countries that I co-created the Axiom-4 mission. I also participated in panels at the Polish-Japanese Investment Forum. We are seeing growing interest in cooperation between the private sectors of both countries. In the space field, common development directions are based on exploration projects, the solutions from which can then be transferred to other sectors of the economy."