A spark in Toruń
The week began on 6 October in Toruń, the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. Nearly 400 schoolchildren filled the city’s planetarium to meet Sławosz and hear about his time in orbit. The setting was symbolic — a city rooted in astronomical history now welcoming one of Poland’s own space explorers.
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- Planetarium in Toruń.
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- Planetarium in Toruń.
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- Planetarium in Toruń.
Stars over Gdańsk
The next day, Sławosz visited Hevelianum in Gdańsk, an educational centre named after astronomer Johannes Hevelius. With 900 students in attendance, the event was a vibrant celebration of science and curiosity. The connection to Hevelius runs deep: the Ignis mission patch features the Scutum constellation, discovered by Hevelius, as a tribute to his legacy and to the city itself.
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- Hevelianum in Gdańsk.
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- Hevelianum in Gdańsk.
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- Hevelianum in Gdańsk.
A planetary welcome in Chorzów
On 9 October, the tour continued at the Silesian Planetarium in Chorzów, where 600 students gathered to learn about life in space and the science behind the Ignis mission. Sławosz shared stories from orbit and answered questions from curious young minds.
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- Silesian planetarium Chorzów.
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- Silesian planetarium Chorzów.
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- Silesian planetarium Chorzów.
A night to remember in Warsaw
The week culminated on 10 October at the 14th Night at the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw — a major science outreach event in Poland. The event transformed the institute into a hub of discovery and celebration. Sławosz’s appearance was a highlight, drawing crowds eager to meet the Polish astronaut and hear about his journey.
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- Łukasiewicz Institute of Aviation.
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- Łukasiewicz Institute of Aviation.
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- Łukasiewicz Institute of Aviation.
Poland reaches the stars
ESA’s week of coordinated visits is just the beginning. Starting 15 October, Sławosz will embark on an eight-week nationwide tour titled “IGNIS – Poland Reaches the Stars”, organised by the Polish Space Agency, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Press conference announcing ‘Polands reaches for the stars’ initiative. Credits: Polish Ministry of Development and Technology.
The tour will take him to 17 institutions across 16 cities where he’ll meet university students and schoolchildren. At each university, a representative of the Polish experiments that Sławosz conducted in space during Ignis will also be present, offering visitors a chance to learn more about the country’s scientific contributions to human spaceflight. Each stop offers an opportunity to inspire, educate and highlight Poland’s expanding role in space exploration. As his journey continues, the spark of Ignis keeps lighting the way for future explorers.