"We did it; Poland has reached the stars," Tusk wrote on social media after Uznański-Wiśniewski's spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 8:31 a.m. Warsaw time.
He admitted that the countdown, after several postponements, filled him with excitement and relief.
“I hope this time everything goes smoothly,” he said.
Tusk also offered well-wishes to the astronaut and his wife, MP Aleksandra Wiśniewska-Uznańska, who is a member of Poland's ruling Civic Coalition.
“All Poles' mission reporting from orbit! Ready for a new era,” Aleksandra Wiśniewska-Uznańska replied to Donald Tusk's message.
Message from orbit
Shortly after liftoff, the Polish astronaut delivered a special message to his fellow citizens from aboard the Dragon capsule.
"Dear Polish men and women, today we are taking a giant step toward Poland’s technological future - a Poland built on science, knowledge, and vision," Uznański-Wiśniewski said.
"Let this mission mark the beginning of an era in which our courage and determination shape a modern Poland for ourselves and for generations to come," he added, as cited by Polish state news agency PAP.
"Who knows how many future Polish astronauts watched Sławosz’s launch with me? Everyone was deeply moved and incredibly proud," Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X.
(mp/gs)
Source: X/@donaldtusk/@PremierRP/@astro_slawosz/@AK_Wisniewska
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