On November 24, 2025, a successful launch of a three-stage suborbital rocket took place at the Central Air Force Training Range in Ustka. The rocket was developed by the Military Institute of Armament Technology (WITU) in cooperation with WZL No. 1 S.A. and ZPS Gamrat Sp. z o.o. The project, officially titled “Development of a three-stage suborbital rocket system for carrying research payloads,” marked the third test of the 300 mm caliber rocket. It was preceded by launches in single-stage and two-stage configurations, carried out on April 15 and November 4, 2025, respectively. Conducting the trial in the full, three-stage configuration confirmed the proper operation of all key systems developed within the project.
The initiative is being implemented in accordance with funding application no. POIR.01.01.01-00-0834/19, submitted in November 2019 and selected by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) under the “Fast Track – Space Technologies” competition in April 2020. According to the competition’s objectives, the developed system serves as a suborbital carrier intended for conducting research in outer space, while allowing for further development and scaling in both the civilian and military sectors.
The three-stage rocket was designed entirely at WITU using advanced rocket technology solutions. As a fully Polish technological solution, it significantly reduces dependence on foreign suppliers in this field. Potential recipients of these technologies include civilian entities in the space sector as well as military organizations—particularly the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, which are interested in developing sovereign capabilities in suborbital and carrier systems.
The successful trial of the three-stage rocket confirms the high level of technological advancement of domestic solutions and paves the way for continued work on suborbital and carrier systems for the space and defense sectors.
Text: M. Pyza