SpaceX has launched Poland's fourth radar reconnaissance satellite into orbit
A SpaceX launch vehicle carrying Poland’s fourth military satellite successfully launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of the CAS500-2 mission.
This was announced by Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who noted that the launch took place on May 3, 2026. The new satellite is part of the national MikroSAR program, which aims to significantly strengthen the country’s reconnaissance capabilities in light of Russian aggression in the region.
Orbital launch no. 104 of 2026 45️
CAS500-2 | SpaceX | May 03 | 0700 UTC@SpaceX successfully launched the Korean CAS500-2 Earth observation️ on its Falcon 9 alongside 44 rideshare payloads to LEO (Low Earth Orbit) from @SLDelta30 SLC-4E, California. pic.twitter.com/3ZLFyG0Mir— Space Intelligence (@SpaceIntel101) May 3, 2026
The use of ICEYE technology allows the Polish military to obtain high-precision data regardless of weather conditions, heavy cloud cover, or time of day. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) provides clear imagery of the Earth’s surface even in complete darkness, which is critical for monitoring security situations. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Finnish-Polish company ICEYE, which specializes in microsatellites for operational surveillance.
Currently, all tests of the new satellite have been completed, and the system will soon be handed over to the military for full-scale operation in the interests of defense. It is worth noting that the Polish satellite network is actively expanding: just on March 30, six satellites were launched into orbit for Poland and Portugal. The development of its own space constellation provides Warsaw with strategic independence in gathering intelligence.
Earlier, the American company SpaceX launched a satellite into orbit that Russia had originally planned to launch back in 2022. Due to the war, those plans were derailed, but the satellite has now reached space after all.
Sweden launched its first military satellite into orbit, marking the start of the deployment of a network of ten satellites to monitor the borders with Russia. Over the next two years, the country plans to fully establish a constellation to monitor military activity in the region and conduct global threat analysis.
