Creotech Instruments, Poland’s leading space company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, has secured a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for a project called “Space Weather Nanosatellites System Enhancement”.
The mission will gather data from low Earth orbit and use it to investigate space weather, focusing on the interaction between solar wind and Earth’s atmosphere.
The project is not a low-cost one – the total cost for construction, launch, and operation is estimated around several million Euros, with the Phase 0-A being valued at 175,000 Euros. The Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN) and Wrocław University of Science and Technology are key scientific partners in this endeavour.
During this mission, satellite instruments will be able to deliver near real-time data, concentrating on the magnetosphere and thermosphere. This information is crucial for forecasting and tracking space weather events, as well as for answering questions on how weather phenomena affect vital orbital infrastructure.
Source: creotech.pl
“These measurements will improve our understanding and forecasting of solar activity’s effects on Earth’s environment. The data will help protect satellite infrastructure and orbital technologies, safeguarding communication systems, navigation, and other operations dependent on stable space conditions. This mission is crucial for ensuring technological and operational security across sectors like aviation and ground-based energy systems, which are sensitive to magnetospheric and thermospheric disturbances,” explained Piotr Dziuban, CTO of the Space Division at Creotech Instruments S.A.
In this project, Creotech will design the satellite using its proprietary HyperSat platform, which will host four scientific instruments: three from the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and one from the Faculty of Electronics, Photonics, and Microsystems at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. In Phase 0-A, Creotech will create a preliminary mission design to measure space weather parameters, focusing on the impact of solar activity on Earth’s orbital conditions. The HyperSat system will be tailored to carry the space weather research payload. Phase 0-A will last nine months, starting in Q4 2024.
The HyperSat system places Creotech in an elite group of global companies that can provide advanced microsatellites and satellite constellations customized to meet specific requirements. Key elements of this system were successfully demonstrated during the EagleEye test mission earlier this year. This ESA “Mission as a Service” (MaaS) project is a distinctive initiative that could lead to future satellite construction and the development of potential constellations, depending on the outcomes of Phase 0-A.
“We are excited to contribute to this strategic space weather research mission. Following our success with the Plasma Observatory mission, this project reinforces our position in the global space sector, particularly in space situational awareness. It also underscores ESA’s trust in our expertise with small satellite systems,” said Dr Grzegorz Brona, President of the Management Board (CEO).
Sources
- Creotech signs contract with ESA for Space Weather Research Mission – Creotech
- CREOTECH INSTRUMENTS S.A.: Podpisanie umowy z Europejską Agencją Kosmiczną na realizację projektu pn. „SPACE WEATHER NANOSATELLITES SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PHASE 0/A” – Bankier.pl
