On October 12, 2026, Polish space technology manufacturer Scanway S.A. announced that it has officially joined the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
The company’s membership was approved on October 5, 2026, during the IAF General Assembly held as part of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) in Antalya, Türkiye, where Chief Operating Officer Mikołaj Podgórski represented the firm during the accession vote.
Strategic Rationale and International Industry Integration
Scanway’s admission into the IAF comes amid accelerating commercial expansion for European NewSpace optical suppliers. Joining the federation connects the Warsaw Stock Exchange-listed firm with global space agencies, research institutions, and tier-one prime contractors seeking qualified electro-optical systems.
The accession builds upon Poland’s growing space industrial capabilities, expanding the operational reach of Polish hardware providers that have demonstrated orbital reliability on domestic missions like Poland’s EagleEye Earth observation satellite and the STAR VIBE smallsat technology demonstration. Through the federation’s technical working groups, Scanway aims to contribute engineering expertise in orbital imaging and in-space diagnostics.
Optical Systems and Payload Specifications
Headquartered in Wrocław, Poland, Scanway engineers modular electro-optical payloads optimized for small satellite buses:
- Earth Observation Telescopes: High-resolution optical payloads designed for micro- and nanosatellites, delivering multispectral surface imagery for commercial remote sensing constellations.
- Spacecraft Vision and Health Systems: Compact camera suites engineered for in-orbit satellite diagnostics, autonomous mechanism inspection, docking maneuvers, and orbital logistics operations.
- Edge Processing Architectures: Integrated image-processing electronics that execute onboard compression and filtering to optimize downlink bandwidth utilization.
Expansion Roadmap and U.S. Market Strategy
As an active IAF member, Scanway plans to accelerate commercialization efforts across international satellite programs, identifying the United States as a primary target for business development. The company is actively positioning its flight-proven optical telescopes and spacecraft monitoring suites to address commercial constellation builds and upcoming civil exploration missions.
