Leading Polish space company Creotech Instruments signed a contract with the European Space Agency (THIS) for the amount 13,9 million euros ($16 million) to implement SAWA's mission (2nd Space Weather Nanosat).
This agreement is historic for the country, as SAWA will be the first Polish satellite mission, which is implemented for ESA on a mission-as-a-service model (mission-as-a-service). Within this business model, the Polish company is not just a supplier of equipment, and the main contractor and system integrator, which is fully responsible for the creation, launch and subsequent control of the apparatus in space.
Key details and technical parameters
Mission objective: The satellite is designed to monitor space weather in near-Earth space (magnetosphere and thermosphere). It will record solar activity, geomagnetic storms and streams of high-energy particles, which are capable of disabling satellites, GPS navigation systems, radio communication and ground energy infrastructure.
Satellite platform: The spacecraft will be built on the basis of the proprietary HyperSat modular platform, developed by Creotech specialists. SAWA will be the company's 13th satellite based on this technology (after EagleEye projects, PIAST, Micro fine and Camila).
Partners: Together with Creotech, the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences works in the consortium (CBK PAN), Wrocław Polytechnic and the N7 Space company.
Schedule: The project is designed for the period from October 2026 year to October 2030 year. The direct launch of the satellite is planned for the first half of the year 2029 year.
The agreement provides, that after bringing the device into low Earth orbit (LEO) In September 2029 year, Creotech will provide at least one year of comprehensive space weather data collection and transmission for the needs of European early warning systems. The satellite will be integrated into ESA's distributed sensor network called D3S.
In addition to the basic €13.9 million, the contract includes an option to extend the data transmission service for another two years for additional fees 1,9 million euros.
Chairman of the board of Creotech Grzegorz Brona called the contract a fundamental breakthrough, which brings the Polish industry to the market of complex integrated space services.
Source: https://spacenews.com