From Wroclaw straight to space! Scanway sends a telescope to the Moon

The telescope created in the Scanway laboratory in Wroclaw will soon be handed over to the American company Intuitive Machines and will be responsible for mapping the surface of the Moon and detecting minerals there. All this is part of the Lunar Data Network (LDN) program, co-financed by NASA.

They will explore the surface of the Moon

The aim of the project, in which Wrocław-based Scanway is participating, is to explore the surface of the Moon, detect minerals present there, and ultimately create the communication infrastructure necessary for future space missions and a permanent human presence beyond Earth.

The Polish telescope will be placed on board the first LDN satellite, which will move in an elliptical orbit at a distance of 500 to 2,800 km above the surface of the Moon.

Experience in processing lunar data covering thousands of square kilometers of the Silver Globe's surface, translating into gigabytes of data, is a unique competence not only in Europe but also worldwide. In addition, lunar imaging is in a significantly higher price range than low-orbit Earth imaging. This creates significant potential for companies that can process such data. Scanway will occupy an important position in the chain of this type of key optical data.

Mikołaj Podgórski

To touch the moon, you first have to leave Earth

According to Magdalena Okulowska, president of the Wrocław Agglomeration Development Agency, “to touch the moon, you first have to leave Earth – both literally and symbolically.”

It is a process that requires ambition, determination, time, and, of course, support. We have been observing the development of Scanway, a company raised in the Wrocław Technology Park, for years and are pleased to accompany it on this journey. Its spectacular successes show that Lower Silesia can sail into wide, global waters, and at the same time motivate us to organize events and initiatives that popularize this sector and encourage others to take action. I am glad that ARAW can contribute to the development of space technologies and, together with the provincial government and other business support institutions, combine our support potential to achieve real results.

Magdalena Okulowska

Innovative companies need support

The Self-government of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship has granted the space sector the status of Intelligent Specialization of the region. In practice, this means, among other things, organizing economic missions and study trips to international fairs as part of the Going Global program, planning events dedicated to the industry, and producing materials promoting regional specializations. In addition, through its units, such as the Lower Silesian Development Fund, the Lower Silesian Agency for Economic Cooperation, and the Lower Silesian Innovation and Science Park, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises can apply for various forms of financial support from EU funds.

The history of Scanway shows how much young and ambitious people can achieve thanks to their skills, knowledge, but also thanks to the support they receive. As an investor, we are one of the few entities financing these ideas. However, as history shows, this often translates into economic success for the entire region, and Scanway is proof of this.

Krzysztof Górka, President of DFR Inwestycyjny

Lower Silesia is a leader in the space industry. This is thanks to the outstanding people who work in this field, the universities that educate them, and the Self-government of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, which supports these projects in every way, both financially and by organizing various economic missions.

This cooperation between business, science and local government shows that it works, and thanks to this, we can all boast of successes such as the launch of a telescope made by a Lower Silesian company to the Moon.

Paweł Gancarz, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Province

“WIG20 to the Moon”

Scanway S.A. is listed on the NewConnect market, but intends to move to the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange later this year. The telescope, which the company will soon hand over to the American company Intuitive Machines, will be engraved with the slogan “WIG20 to the Moon,” popular among the Polish investment community.

On behalf of the European Space Agency, as part of the same mission, Scanway will be responsible for processing satellite images of the Moon. This will connect Europe with the American Artemis lunar program, currently the largest and most advanced in the world.

Unique expertise required

According to Mikołaj Podgórski, COO of Scanway S.A., the contract with the European Space Agency confirms the company's high level of expertise and experience in the optical processing chain.

The lunar mission with our telescope is a direct illustration of the capabilities of Polish technology companies and an opportunity to build a narrative about the Polish capital market as a space for innovation. The slogan engraved on our telescope means that we are symbolically sending the Polish stock exchange to the Moon.

Jędrzej Kowalewski, President of the Management Board of Scanway S.A.