European Launch Agreement Inked by Poland, Virgin Orbit
Polish space agency POLSA and Virgin Orbit have signed a letter of intent to formalize a European launch agreement made possible by the LauncherOne system. The signed letter codifies the Polish government’s intent to collaborate with Virgin Orbit to conduct a detailed analysis of LauncherOne's practical applications in support of Poland’s science and economy industries.
“(This) agreement marks an important step to providing assured access to space for Poland and surrounding nations--serving Polish industry, science and security.”
Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart.
Having already completed three successful commercial launches from an inland spaceport, and having reached launch azimuths that traditional, ground-based launch systems cannot achieve from launch pads in the Western United States, Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne has demonstrated its unique ability to open space launch solutions for regions where spaceflight would otherwise be limited or impractical – a solution made possible through a dedicated carrier aircraft and ground support systems.
“(This) agreement marks an important step to providing assured access to space for Poland and surrounding nations--serving Polish industry, science and security,” said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart. “Poland’s forward thinking is inspiring at this critical juncture for Europe and we’re honored to serve them and partner with the Polish space community to open space for good.”
“For Poland, today's event is another step towards building a sovereign satellite system, which is crucial in the current geopolitical situation. Development of new technologies, including navigation, Earth imaging or telecommunications are irreplaceable in ensuring national security and solving crisis situations,” said Piotr Nowak, Poland's Minister of Economic Development and Technology.
The president of the Polish Space Agency Grzegorz Wrochna emphasized that the signed letter for a European launch agreement is a crowning touch to several months’ period of intense negotiations, conducted in tight coordination with the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. “The demonstrated interest and concrete declarations indicate that Poland is an attractive partner for global players, such as Virgin Orbit," Wrochna said. "Even more importantly, this agreement further positions our domestic space sector in the competitive upstream segment of the international space market. Thanks to the LauncherOne technology, Poland will be able to provide launch services also to other countries in the area, in particular within the Three Seas region.”
The letter of intent was signed by POLSA president, Prof. Grzegorz Wrochna and Virgin Orbit CEO, Dan Hart, in the presence of Polish Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Piotr Nowak.
Virgin Orbit is currently commencing an ambitious expansion outside of the United States. The company has previously announced plans to open the first launch capabilities for international space ports in Oita, Japan and Alcântara, Brazil and will be launching a historic first orbital flight via its LauncherOne platform from the United Kingdom later in 2022.
(Source: Virgin Orbit news release. Image from file)