The Polish rocket company SpaceForest took the initiative to create a permanent launch pad on the territory of the country. According to the developers, its own spaceport is needed to support at least three suborbital rockets, created by Polish companies and scientific institutes.
SpaceForest is developing the Perun suborbital rocket, which recently made its third launch from the Central Aviation Test Site of the Polish Air Force in Ustka. Despite the fact that the company called the launch a success, the flight was prematurely interrupted due to 29 seconds after launch due to the risk of the rocket going beyond the permitted safety zone. The rocket was returned, and the next launch attempt is planned no earlier than March next year.
Except for Perun, two more suborbital vehicles are being developed in Poland. ILR-33 AMBER 2K, created by the Aviation Institute of the Łukasiewicz Network, in July 2024 became the first Polish rocket, that reached outer space. The third project is a three-stage suborbital rocket, which is being developed by a consortium led by the state aerospace company WZL-1.
SpaceForest currently uses a mobile launch infrastructure, which every time has to be delivered to the test site in Ustka and taken back after the launches. In parallel, the company concluded agreements with EuroSpaceport for launches from a floating platform in the North Sea, and also with the Atlantic Spaceport Consortium — for launches from the Portuguese island of Santa Maria. However, despite the presence of foreign options, SpaceForest insists on the need to create a national spaceport as an element of Poland's sovereign launch capabilities.
According to company representatives, the purpose of the project – ensure the launch of Polish missiles from the territory of Poland, to support scientists, research organizations and business in testing technologies in real space conditions, including microgravity, launch loads and suborbital phases of flight.
SpaceForest's proposal involves building a protected launch pad, light hangar and power supply infrastructure. The company names the Central Aviation Test Ground in Ustka as the optimal place for placing a permanent launch pad, noting his experience with similar operations, as well as already existing procedures for the creation of security zones and logistics.
Source: https://lookintothe.space