Poland has released the first images taken by its new military satellite, a synthetic-aperture radar platform that is now orbiting the Earth and observing the country from space. The photos, captured on 8 December, show Warsaw, Gdańsk and the Tatra Mountains in striking detail and are being hailed by the government as a historic milestone in the development of national defence and intelligence capabilities.
Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the achievement on X, saying that the satellite of the Polish Armed Forces, launched on 28 November, had already begun delivering imagery despite still being in the process of reaching full operational readiness. He thanked all those involved in turning what he called an “exceptional project” into reality and stressed that preparations are under way to hand the fully ready system over to the military.
The images released to the public highlight key Polish locations: the capital with its dense urban fabric, the Baltic port city of Gdańsk and the rugged outlines of the Tatras in the south. Beyond their symbolic value, they demonstrate the precision and flexibility of the satellite’s sensor suite. Equipped with a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR), the spacecraft can acquire high-resolution images day and night, regardless of cloud cover, weather conditions, smoke or darkness. For Poland, this is an entirely new capability: until now, it has had to rely on foreign partners and commercial providers for similar data.
SAR technology works by emitting microwave pulses toward the Earth’s surface and analysing the returned signals to construct detailed images. Unlike optical satellites, which depend on sunlight and clear skies, SAR can penetrate clouds and provide consistent coverage in all seasons. This makes it especially valuable for a country like Poland, where frequent cloudiness and adverse weather can limit traditional imagery. For defence planners, the ability to monitor critical infrastructure, transport corridors and military activity in all conditions is a significant strategic asset.
The new satellite is designed to deliver continuous surveillance of selected targets, including military, transport and energy infrastructure. In crisis or wartime, it will support the detection of troop movements, hidden equipment, fortifications and battle damage, giving commanders a clearer and more timely picture of what is happening on the ground. Integrated into broader intelligence and reconnaissance systems, its data can help improve early warning, targeting and post-strike assessment, and reduce dependence on external sources that may not always be available at short notice.
This is the first of three military SAR satellites Poland is acquiring under the MikroSAR programme. The spacecraft was built by ICEYE, a Polish-Finnish company that has become a prominent player in the global small-satellite SAR market. Under a contract signed in May with the Ministry of National Defence, ICEYE and its partner, Military Communication Works No. 1, will deliver a trio of satellites and associated ground infrastructure tailored to Polish needs. The constellation will allow more frequent revisits over areas of interest and improve resilience in case of technical problems or hostile action against any single satellite.
The launch on 28 November from the US Vandenberg Space Force Base used a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on a rideshare mission that also carried other Polish spacecraft into orbit. Alongside the military SAR satellite, three optical PIAST satellites and a commercial platform operated by SatRev were placed into space. Together, these systems mark a rapid expansion of Poland’s presence in orbit, combining military and dual-use capabilities for Earth observation.
For Poland’s armed forces, the arrival of the first images is both a technical validation and a political signal. Technically, it confirms that the satellite has survived launch, deployed correctly and is able to communicate reliably with ground stations and deliver usable data. Politically, it demonstrates that Poland is becoming not only a consumer but also a co-creator of advanced space-based defence technologies, working through partnerships with domestic and international industry.
Although the satellite has not yet reached full operational status, the clarity and coverage of the initial imagery suggest that once calibration and testing are complete, it will be able to provide the Polish military with a steady stream of high-quality information. As additional satellites join it on orbit over the next few years, Poland’s ability to monitor its territory and surrounding regions from space will grow, reinforcing its position within NATO and enhancing its capacity to respond to emerging threats.
The publication of the first pictures of Warsaw, Gdańsk and the Tatras therefore has a double meaning. It is a moment of national pride, showing familiar places from an entirely new vantage point, and a preview of a deeper transformation in how Poland sees and understands its security environment—from above, in all weather, around the clock.
