Wire flash
Polish PM Tusk: Poland to develop own Starlink satellite system by 2030
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on September 9 at the MSPO defense show in Kielce that Poland will develop a domestic satellite communications system similar to SpaceX's Starlink. The project follows a letter of intent signed between Finnish space company ICEYE and Poland's state-run defense giant PGZ to jointly develop a military satellite communications system. Tusk emphasized the critical importance of communications on the modern battlefield, citing lessons from the Russian-Ukrainian war. PGZ stated the program will be implemented from 2026 to 2030. ICEYE, which already cooperates with PGZ on the MikroSAR Earth observation program, will act as the technology partner responsible for satellite system architecture, platform design and manufacturing, and satellite operations. PGZ will organize the domestic industrial base, leveraging its production capabilities and technical infrastructure. The initiative is part of Poland's broader effort to build military space capabilities, accelerated by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Source report
WARSAW, Poland — Finnish space company ICEYE and Poland’s state-run defense conglomerate PGZ have signed a letter of intent to jointly develop a military satellite communications system, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced.
Tusk stated that the project will lay the groundwork for a domestic satellite network comparable to SpaceX's Starlink.
"The culmination of the process that began today can and will be a Polish Starlink," Tusk said on September 9 at the MSPO defense show in Kielce. "Anyone closely following the Russian-Ukrainian war knows how important communications are. It is absolutely critical. Without communications, you have nothing to look for on the modern battlefield."
According to a PGZ statement, the program is scheduled for implementation between 2026 and 2030.
Existing Cooperation
ICEYE already has an ongoing partnership with PGZ on an Earth observation system for the Polish Armed Forces. The Finnish company has delivered synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites to Poland's military under the MikroSAR program. This system is designed as the first component of the military space capabilities toolkit that Warsaw plans to develop in the coming years. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has accelerated Poland's efforts to enhance its reconnaissance capabilities.
PGZ noted that the new cooperation will leverage experience gained through the MikroSAR program and will include:
- Development of a space segment based on a distributed architecture
- Development of domestic ground infrastructure
- Establishment of industrial capabilities for independent system development and maintenance in Poland
Roles and Responsibilities
ICEYE stated that the collaboration will be based on the complementary roles of both partners:
- ICEYE will serve as the technology partner, responsible for developing the satellite system architecture, designing and manufacturing space platforms, and conducting satellite operations.
- PGZ will contribute its industrial and organizational capabilities, organizing the program's domestic industrial base by identifying group companies that will provide production capabilities, expertise, and technical infrastructure.
About the author: Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.
Source
Defense NewsWestern