The satellite will track space weather capable of disrupting GPS, communications, satellites and power grids. A Polish space company has signed a €13.9 million contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to deliver a satellite mission that will monitor the effects of solar activity on the space environment. The agreement moves ESA’s SAWA – 2nd Space Weather Nanosat mission beyond its initial planning stage, with Polish firm Creotech Instruments set to build the spacecraft, prepare it for launch and later operate it in orbit. The satellite, scheduled for launch in early 2029, will study the Earth’s upper atmosphere and monitor the effects of solar activity in low Earth orbit. Creotech said SAWA will be the first mission in Polish history to be delivered to ESA under a “mission-as-a-service” model, with the company acting as the prime contractor and mission integrator. The new contract follows a feasibility study completed in 2025. Creotech will build the spacecraft using its Polish-developed HyperSat platform, integrate its systems, prepare the mission and conduct mission operations in line with ESA requirements. Tracking space weather The satellite will collect data for monitoring and forecasting so-called space weather, including geomagnetic storms and high-energy particle emissions caused by solar activity. Such events can disrupt satellites and GPS navigation, interfere with radio communications and, in severe cases, affect electricity grids on Earth. The mission will support ESA’s early-warning system for phenomena that may affect space- and ground-based infrastructure. “This is a breakthrough both for Creotech Instruments and for the entire Polish space sector,” Creotech CEO Grzegorz Brona said. He said the project showed that the company’s capabilities in satellite-system integration and development of the HyperSat platform had reached a level enabling it to deliver “strategic security-related projects.” The contract includes an option to extend Creotech’s data transmission service provided to ESA for a further two years after the project is completed, for an additional €1.9 million. Creotech said SAWA will be the 13th satellite based on its HyperSat system to be launched into space.
