Creotech plans tenfold satellite production capacity increase by 2029
The Polish manufacturer aims to open a factory in Mazowieckie and expand into France and Germany, while its chief warns of continued reliance on US rockets.
Creotech Instruments aims to expand its satellite manufacturing capacity tenfold by 2029, chief executive Grzegorz Brona said. The Polish company plans a new plant in Mazowieckie that year, with annual capacity for either 40 satellites of different models or 100 of one model.
Its existing facility in Piaseczno, near Warsaw, has capacity for 10 satellites a year. Brona also said Creotech would begin establishing subsidiaries in France and Germany and was targeting production of 500 kg satellites by 2032.
The expansion plans come alongside a warning from Brona that Europe would remain dependent on American rockets for years. He said European manufacturers could make thousands of satellites but still lack the means to put them into orbit.
Creotech excludes US technology from its satellites to avoid American arms export restrictions, which allow Washington to block sales involving even a small US component. However, SpaceX launched the four satellites the company produced for Poland’s MikroGlob military programme.
European launch operators are also planning more activity. Arianespace intends to conduct nine or 10 Ariane 6 launches annually from 2027. The European Space Agency said in September it was considering more frequent Ariane 6 and Vega-C flights to address a potential bottleneck in satellite deployment.
