News

On October 11, 2026, we conducted a stratospheric experiment in which samples of materials used in the HYADES space mission were carried to an altitude of nearly 35 km. The experiment was organized by researchers and PhD students from the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science at Jagiellonian University, in collaboration with AATC, a company conducting high-altitude balloon missions as part of its StratOS programme. The main objective of the HYADES team’s experiment Read more

On 25 September 2026, HYADES took part in the Małopolska Researchers’ Night. Tomasz Kawalec led workshops on the direct reception of data from the MetOp-B, MetOp-C and Meteor-M N2-3 weather satellites. These satellites orbit the Earth in low Earth orbit (LEO), at an altitude of about 810–820 km. A great variety of data can be received directly from these satellites, including signals transmitted in the L-band, at frequencies around 1700 MHz. The satellites carry many Read more

On 5 August 2026, the HYADES Space Telescope was included in the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures (PMIB) – Poland’s official national roadmap identifying major research facilities, laboratories and systems of strategic importance to the development of Polish science. HYADES is listed as a national research infrastructure led by the Jagiellonian University. Its inclusion followed an expert evaluation considering, among other criteria, the infrastructure’s uniqueness at the national and international levels, its scientific and institutional Read more

Four members of the HYADES team will begin their doctoral studies at Jagiellonian University in October. In this year’s admissions cycle, three of our colleagues were accepted into the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences in the field of astronomy, and one person will begin a doctoral program in the field of physics. Kinga Orszulik focuses on analyzing satellite orbital dynamics, orbital transfer scenarios, estimating Δv requirements, and research related to satellite deorbiting. Her Read more

On 2 August 2026 Szymon Ryszkowski gave a presentation titled “Tracing Water in Comets: Modeling OH, H, and Deuterium in the Hydrogen and Deuterium Survey Mission” at the International Conference of Physics Students (ICPS) in Rabat, Morocco. ICPS is an international conference for physics students organized annually by the International Association of Physics Students (IAPS), bringing together participants from dozens of countries. The presentation focused on modeling OH and OD radicals in cometary comas for Read more

On 30 June 2026, Mikołaj Sabat gave a public lecture entitled “Did Comets and Asteroids Bring Water to Earth?” as part of the International Asteroid Day pop-science event at the Jagiellonian University. The talk offered a broad and accessible overview of what we currently know about the origin of Earth’s water, the role of comets and asteroids, and the questions that HYADES aims to help answer. The programme also featured workshops and a visit to Read more

On 2 June 2026, Mikołaj Sabat was a special guest at the opening of the fourth edition of the international art-and-science project SPACE ART, held at Jaga Hupało Space of Creation in Warsaw. In conversation with Katarzyna Korus, he spoke about the scientific goals of HYADES, the mission’s distinctive character, and the inspiring connections between space research and contemporary art. The evening also included an informal first presentation of the HYADES mission emblem, currently being Read more

On November 21, we visited the Copernicus Festival: Campus. In four thematic zones, visitors could immerse themselves in both the microscopic structures of matter and questions about the future of space exploration. Representatives of HYADES were also among the panelists. Tomasz Kawalec led a practical workshop entitled “Listening to Satellites” during which participants could independently record and decode signals from weather satellites, amateur satellites, and the International Space Station. Szymon Ryszkowski co-hosted with Juliette Bécart Read more

On November 5, 2025, the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre was visited by Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, ESA astronaut, as part of the nationwide IGNIS mission tour. The visit took place during an ongoing SOLARIS experimental session focused on the characterization of a prototype absorption filter developed within the HYADES project. Dr. Uznański-Wiśniewski met with the HYADES team and SOLARIS researchers in the experimental hall, where the synchrotron infrastructure and current space-related research activities were presented.

On November 4, we had the opportunity to participate in the Space for Everyone event, at the Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University — a meeting with Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, ESA astronaut and participant in the IGNIS mission. The meeting featured a panel discussion entitled “Has the fire been lit? The impact of the IGNIS mission on the space sector,” in which Sławosz was joined by Dr. Michał Drahus, representing the HYADES project, among others. The Read more