A Pole will fly into space? Will Sławosz Uznański take part in the mission of the European Space Agency (ESA)?

Polish scientist Sławosz Uznański was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to join the reserve group last November, along with 11 other people. Uznański defeated 22,000 candidates from all over Europe. They passed a variety of knowledge tests space and space technologies, intelligence and computational efficiency, the ability to solve complex, unusual problems under time pressure, mental toughness and keeping a cool head under stress. They underwent detailed medical examinations and passed a series of interviews. This was ESA’s first astronaut recruitment since 2009.

On Wednesday, Interia, citing a source in the Ministry of Development, announced: “We will have our astronaut participating in a global project. We entered into cooperation, signed a letter of intent for three years and transferred money. This is return capital for Poland,” said one of from representatives of the Ministry of Development, adding that Uznański “starts training at the beginning of September”.

According to Interia, its unofficial information shows that Poland will allocate EUR 360 million for the activities of the European Space Agency over the next three years. The first, annual tranche is EUR 70 million.

However, as we learned unofficially from one of the associates, Sławosz Uznański’s flight is not yet certain. “Negotiations are ongoing,” the source said.

Uznański, if he goes into space, will be the second Pole after Mirosław Hermaszewski, who took part in a space mission 45 years ago.

Slawosz Uznański comes from boatwhere in 2008 he graduated with honors from the Lodz University of Technology, obtaining a master’s degree in engineering. In the same year, he received a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Nantes in France and an engineering degree from the Nantes Polytechnic. In 2011, he defended his doctorate with honors at the University of Aix-Marseille, also in France.

In the selection for the reserve astronaut in 2022, the Pole gained an additional advantage thanks to the experience gained at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, where he works as the operator of the Large Hadron Collider LHC. Uznański is also involved in the design of radiation-resistant electronics, which must be used in space. A doctorate in electronics and the ability to conduct scientific research are his other assets useful on the space station. His hobby, i.e. walking in the Himalayas, is the best way to train resistance to stress and difficult conditions.

Uznański is the author of a book on the effects of radiation in electronic systems and co-author of over 50 articles in journals and at scientific conferences.