Poland deploys microsatellite system to boost space-based reconnaissance

Poland has officially commissioned a satellite system consisting of four MikroSAR reconnaissance microsatellites, marking a significant expansion of its space-based intelligence capabilities, the country’s Ministry of Defence announced.

The ministry described the programme as one of the fastest-implemented satellite initiatives globally, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media. 

“Just one year after signing the contract, Poland has commissioned the MikroSAR system — one of the fastest-implemented satellite programmes in the world,” the statement said.

The system was developed under a contract with Finnish-based space technology company ICEYE, valued at 860 million zlotys (approximately $235 million). Four satellites have already been placed into orbit, with an additional three planned for future launch.

At the commissioning ceremony, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland had become the eighth country in Europe with independent capability to obtain geospatial data from space.

The MikroSAR system is designed to provide high-resolution radar imagery, enhancing Poland’s reconnaissance, surveillance, and defence planning capabilities.

By Sabina Mammadli