Poles to discover plasma secrets? Important task from ESA
Polish company with important contract in space. Our compatriots will design six radiation-resistant space probes that will take part in the European Space Agency’s “Plasma Observatory” mission.
This is the first M-class scientific mission in which a Polish company acts as a supplier of entire space probes. Under the awarded contract, Creotech Instruments SA will carry out phases A and B1 of the project, i.e. feasibility assessment and preliminary mission design along with the design of space probes capable of flying in space beyond the geostationary orbit of the Earth (GEO). The engineering team will also be responsible for designing and manufacturing a full set of satellite electronics resistant to radiation, paving the way for further space missions beyond low Earth orbitThe satellite avionics created in this way will be tested in 2026, including in the laboratories of the European Space Agency.
Understanding Plasma
The Plasma Observatory mission aims to gain a deeper understanding of energy flows in plasma around Earth. For this purpose, it will be designed an unusual research instrument consisting of six spaced probes and a “mother” ship, creating something like a large tetrahedronwhich may be over 100 thousand km long. When all the objects are in the space between the Earth and the Moon, several years of plasma measurements will begin. But we will have to wait a while for the results. The mission is not scheduled to launch until 2037, if the project continues. A decision on this is to be made by the end of 2026.
This is only the seventh of the European Space Agency’s flagship M-class exploration missions. Our team is ready for this challenge. We plan to start the project in the near future and believe that our innovative approach will contribute to the success of this mission.
– says Dr. Grzegorz Brona, President of the Management Board of Creotech Instruments SA.
More tasks on the horizon
The contract for the implementation of phases A and B1 of the development of six “daughter” space probes, for which Creotech Instruments is responsible, will start in the third quarter of 2024 and will last 2 years. Its value is 3.95 million EUR. After the project is completed, the European Space Agency will choose which of the three proposed M-class missions will be selected for further implementation. The list of candidates for the so-called ESA medium-class mission has only three finalists: M-Matisse, Plasma Observatory and Theseus. If it is “our” mission that is ultimately selected, Creotech Instruments will have the opportunity to produce and deliver six satellites based on its proprietary HyperSat platform.
The selection of the Company and all necessary negotiations were conducted in the “direct” formula, i.e. without a tender phase, immediately indicating the Polish company as a desirable partner for the implementation of the ESA mission. Creotech Instruments is currently implementing the EagleEye mission, in which it is the project leader. The largest and most advanced satellite in Poland’s history is scheduled to be launched this summer from the American Vandenberg base. The start date will be announced soon. Details about this topic will certainly be found on Telepolis.pl.
