- The mind behind the project
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What project you have worked on so far is your favorite, why?
My favorite project I’ve worked on in Sener Poland is the solar panel mechanisms project for the PROBA-3 mission (PROBA-3 Solar Array Mechanisms), which included the Solar Array Deployment Mechanism and the Solar Array Hold-Down and Release Mechanisms.
This was the first project I had the opportunity to work on. It was completed in 2022, after almost 7 years. As a result, I learned a great deal during its implementation. If the launch of the mission is not delayed, this year will also be the first mechanisms designed, manufactured and tested by Sener Poland to be placed in orbit. I am very happy to have had a small part in this.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the space industry?
I was inspired to take up a career in the space industry by the fascination with space that has accompanied me since I was young. I remember that I really enjoyed reading books on such topics or going to planetarium screenings. Undoubtedly, I was also inspired to start a career in the space sector by the realization that the mechanism I designed could be in space in the future.
I think the most fascinating thing about space projects is their diversity.
What aspects of space projects are most fascinating to you?
I think the most fascinating thing about space projects is their diversity. Even when designing the same type of mechanism, for example, a hold-down and release mechanism, you have to face new challenges in each successive project. These can be, for example, different loads acting on the designed component or its different application, so that often the whole process has to be started from scratch and the previous solution cannot be used 1:1. In this way, throughout your career, you have the opportunity to grow all the time and the work does not become monotonous.
What career goals related to space engineering would you like to achieve in the future?
One of my career goals is undoubtedly to work on some groundbreaking mission for the space market in Europe, such as the design of a lander for a European manned mission to Mars, if a decision is made to build one in the future. Another could be to work on the design of an entire satellite, which would involve completely different tasks and challenges than the design of a single mechanism.