Poland will shell out millions to develop its own satellite systems and space technology under a draft new programme unveiled by a government agency on Tuesday.

The National Space Programme, drafted by the government-run Polish Space Agency, comes with a budget of around PLN 1.43 billion (EUR 340 million, USD 400 million) planned for the next eight years.

The programme provides for investment in “priority projects related to the development of national satellite systems” and for government support for research centres, universities, nongovernmental organisations and private companies working to develop space technology.

The National Space Programme, which has yet to undergo consultations before it is definitively approved, is part of the Polish Space Strategy, which in turn is a key component of the Strategy for Responsible Development, a flagship Polish government strategy crafted by the country’s new Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in his original role as minister for development, officials said.

Speaking at a conference in Warsaw in November marking Poland's five years as a member of the European Space Agency (ESA), Morawiecki said that investment in space technology creates “synergies, various indirect effects ... in many other industries.”

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP