The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) announced that astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski will connect live from orbit with young audiences in four Polish cities during his time aboard the International Space Station (ISS). These live transmissions will be the highlights of educational events taking place in Łódź, Wrocław, Rzeszów and Warsaw.

The Ax-4 mission, which includes Uznański-Wiśniewski among its crew, arrived at the ISS on 26 June. The astronauts are expected to remain in orbit for two weeks. During this time, Uznański-Wiśniewski will carry out thirteen experiments devised by Polish scientists and participate in a specially designed educational programme.

A key component of this initiative is a series of large-scale events aimed at children, teenagers and students. Each gathering will offer around eight hours of space-themed educational activities, including workshops, lectures, panel discussions and science picnics. 

These events are scheduled to take place on:

2 July at EC1 in Łódź (10:15 to 13:00)

4 July at the University of Wrocław (8:30 to 11:30)

5 July at Rzeszów University of Technology (10:00 to 13:00)

8 July at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw (10:15 to 13:00)

Each meeting is expected to attract around 300 participants, primarily winners of space-related competitions run by POLSA since autumn 2024, as well as pupils and teachers from schools engaged in the “space education pathway”.

The centrepiece of each event will be a live session with the astronaut, accompanied by related educational segments lasting approximately three hours. These sessions, known as „inflight calls”, will also be streamed via POLSA’s YouTube channel.

In Łódź, Uznański-Wiśniewski will take part in three student-designed experiments selected through the nationwide contest “Simple Experiment – Cosmic Discovery” held in late 2024. 

The Łódź event will also feature hands-on activities such as assembling a symbolic „Key to Space” while watching recorded footage of Uznański-Wiśniewski, workshops on 3D printing, space geology and astronomy, as well as space-themed engineering challenges, including the construction and launch of rockets, and programming of rovers. 

In Wrocław, the audience will establish contact with the ISS using amateur radio, facilitated by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station). 

Rzeszów will host a similar radio session with the ISS. 

The final event, held at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, will cater to a younger audience aged 8 to 14. During the live broadcast from orbit, Uznański-Wiśniewski will answer several questions and perform three simple demonstrations based on ideas submitted by schoolchildren. The young authors will then have the opportunity to present their concepts on stage. 

The events are organised by the Ministry of Development and Technology, the Polish Space Agency and the European Space Agency. They are co-hosted by EC1 in Łódź, the University of Wrocław, Rzeszów University of Technology and the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw.

Source: PAP

Photo: X/@astro_slawosz

Tomasz Modrzejewski