The largest Polish satellite to date – EagleEye – will fly into low-Earth orbit on Friday, August 16, aboard the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket. The device built by Creotech, Scanway and the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences will enable Earth observations with exceptionally high resolution.
The announcement about the launch of the Polish satellite was made on Thursday evening by Creotech Instruments SA.
As reported, “the largest Polish satellite will be launched now August 16, around 8:19 pm Polish time“.
“This date has been set by SpaceX, the launch service provider. EagleEye will be launched into Earth orbit on a Falcon-9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Station in California as part of the Transporter-11 mission. The separation of the Polish satellite is scheduled for 9:38 pm our time,” Creotech reported.
Grzegorz Brona, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Creotech Instruments SA, quoted in the statement, emphasized that “after many years of work on the HyperSat satellite system, on which the first large Polish satellite is based, “The key moment is coming”.
“The Falcon 9 rocket will put EagleEye into space. This is the moment we have been waiting for for a long time, together with the entire Polish space industry. (…) For me personally, this will be a very special event. 12 years ago, when Creotech Instruments SA was established, we announced that the company’s goal was to obtain the ability to design and produce fully Polish satellites. Nobody believed it then. And now, after building laboratories, production facilities and, above all, attracting excellent people to Creotech, on whose shoulders rests the mission of building EagleEye, we are ready,” said Brona.
As stated, EagleEye is the largest and most advanced microsatellite in the history of our countrybuilt by Creotech Instruments, with the involvement of national companies. It will enable photograph the Earth with extremely high resolution, reaching one meter per pixel.
“From him the weight is approximately 55 kgwhich corresponds to the total mass of all Polish satellites that have been created since the beginning of our participation in space exploration. This is an innovative project for the entire Polish space sector and, at the same time, an important step in the development of national competencies in the design, construction, integration and launch of small satellites”, the company’s press release emphasized.
After unfolding the solar panels, the satellite measures 55 cm x 150 cm x 90 cm.
Creotech recalled that EagleEye is based on the proprietary HyperSat platform, which is already a key element of several projects at national and European level. “The satellite was equipped with an optical telescope from the Polish company Scanwaywhich allows taking pictures of the Earth’s surface in the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) bands, and the computer instrument developed by the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
According to the information sent, the mission will begin by placing EagleEye into an orbit of approximately 510 kmfrom where the satellite will descend to a very low orbit (VLEO – Very Low Earth Orbit) with an altitude of approximately 350 km using an ion engine.
“This will happen there too checking the possibilities of its operation and imaging of the Earth. Creotech Instruments engineers will oversee the entire mission from the Mission Operations Center, located at the company’s headquarters in Warsaw,” the company announced.
The start was supposed to happen earlier, but it was postponed due to problems at SpaceX, the company that provides transportation to orbit. In July, during a routine mission of the Falcon 9 rocket, the second stage engine failed. The flight suspension lasted about two weeks.
EagleEye is the most advanced Polish satellite in history.
The project leader is Creotechwho was also responsible for the construction of the satellite platform called HyperSat (all components are placed in it), as well as for satellite integration. The company is also involved in the project ExoLaunch.
The company has developed a telescope that will observe the planet Scanway SAwhile Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences provided the on-board computer and control algorithms.
As Creotech experts point out, EagleEye “has the opportunity to introduce Poland to the elite group of countries with the ability to create advanced space systems for national needs, the European Space Agency and customers around the world.” “So far, only eight entities in Europe have proven their ability to build and test a satellite weighing at least 50 kg in space,” they add.
“Designing and building a satellite of this size in Poland required unique skills and experience. We manage a mission of great importance for the entire national space sector. We open the door for national entities to the lucrative and rapidly growing market of design, construction, integration and launch of small satellites into Earth orbit. It is a great honor and responsibility at the same time”, emphasized Marcin Mazur, EagleEye project manager, quoted in the project description.
Detailed information can be found on the mission website.
