The first mentions of the Polish missile programme appeared as early as 1958, when, during the political thaw, missile tests began to be carried out over the Błędowska Desert. In 1967, the programme gained momentum when research was transferred to a former secret Luftwaffe centre near Łeba, in Rabka. This centre, previously known for testing the German Rheintochter and Rheinbote anti-aircraft missiles, became a key location for Polish scientists and engineers who developed their own projects.
Daughter of the Rhine
Rockets RheinthiteThe Rheinbote, tested by the Germans during World War II, was intended to shoot down Allied bombers, and the Rheinbote was a ballistic missile with a range of up to 220 km. These technologies, although developed for completely different purposes, became an inspiration for Polish designers working on the Meteor rockets.
Polish Meteor Rockets: From Model 1 to Advanced 2K
The first Polish rockets were called Meteor and were intended primarily for meteorological purposes. The first model, Meteor-1, went into production in 1965. It was a significant breakthrough for the Polish space industry, but the real successes came with subsequent versions. The Meteor-2 rocket, especially its improved version Meteor 2Kwas the most advanced technology developed in Poland during this period.
Meteor 2K It was a single-stage solid-fuel rocket powered by launch engines that dropped to an altitude of about 440 meters. This structure allowed it to reach an altitude of up to 90 km, which was a significant achievement for Polish science and technology. The rocket was used primarily for atmospheric research – there was a research probe “RAMZES” on board, which collected data on pressure, chemical composition of air and other atmospheric parameters during the flight.
Flight 90 km above the ground
The most important moment in history Meteora 2K took place on October 7, 1970. After several months of preparation and waiting for suitable weather conditions, two successful launches were carried out. The rockets reached an altitude of about 90 km, which caused them to enter the thermosphere – a layer of the atmosphere where the propagation of sound waves becomes impossible and conditions are similar to those in space.
It was a huge success for the team of engineers and scientists led by Jerzy Haraźny, one of Poland’s leading experts in rocket technology. His team hoped that other ambitious plans could be implemented, including the Meteor-4 rocket, which was supposed to reach an altitude of 150 km, which could pave the way for Poland to undertake large-scale space research.
Program stop
Despite these successes, the Polish missile program encountered serious difficulties that led to its termination. In 1972, it was decided to end research on Meteor rockets. Officially, the reason was changing priorities and costs. Poland began participating in the international Interkosmos research program, which reduced the need to develop its own meteorological rockets.
However, many sources indicate that politics was the real cause. Jerzy Haraźny and his team gained international recognition by publishing research results in scientific journals and presenting their achievements at international trade fairs. This raised concerns in the Soviet Union, which sought to maintain a monopoly on the development of missile technology in the Eastern Bloc. The USSR feared that Poland might use these technologies for military purposes, which could undermine Soviet authority in the region.
Intercosmos
After the closure of the Meteor project, Poland became part of the Interkosmos program, which was a joint initiative of the Eastern Bloc countries with the aim ofdevelopment of space technologies in cooperation with the USSR. Intercosmos allowed Polish scientists access to Soviet technologies and participation in international research missions, but did not give Poland full independence in the field of space exploration.
However, Poland achieved some results within the framework of this program. In 1978, as part of the Interkosmos mission, the first Polish scientific satellite flew into space – Intercosmos 9. In later years, Poles participated in space missions as members of international crews. One of the most famous Poles in the history of space exploration is Mirosław Hermaszewski, who in 1978 became the first and so far the only Pole to make a space flight aboard the Soviet Soyuz 30.
