Poles in space

Together with other countries of the Socialist bloc, Poland joined the Soviet Interkosmos program in 1967. The program encompassed work in the fields of communications and remote detection, medicine, biology with human physiology, meteorology, cartography, geography, geodesy, space physics, astronomy etc.

Polish scientists designed a number of research and measurement instruments for the Interkosmos program projects implemented with the help of 'Vertical' rocket ships; they also developed the Copernicus 500 program for the measurement of the Sun's radio emissions.

Poles were also included in the manned space flight program. After over a year of testing and training, certified pilot Major Miros³aw Hermaszewski (b. 1941) became the first Pole to fly into space on June 27, 1978 aboard the Soyuz 30 ship commanded by Russian cosmonaut, Colonel Pyotr Klimuk - the space flight lasted 7 days, 22 hours, 2 minutes and 59 seconds. Aboard the Salyut 6 research station, the cosmonauts carried out nine experiments, including five prepared by the Polish research stations.

Miros³aw Hermaszewski inherited his risky ways from his grandfather, who had accompanied count Ma³yñski on a journey around the world.

However, he is not the only Pole to have been in space. In 1998, payload specialist James A. Pawelczyk flew into space as a member of a 7 person crew of the Columbia space shuttle. He took a Polish flag into space, which he later handed over to the President of the RP, Aleksander Kwa¶niewski, on May 3, 1999.