Uznański-Wiśniewski, a 41-year-old scientist and research engineer from the city of Łódź in central Poland, became the second Pole in space as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station.
It all began in Łódź, Poland
Uznański-Wiśniewski graduated with a master’s degree in engineering from the Łódź University of Technology in 2008 and continued his studies in France, attending the University of Nantes and the École Centrale de Nantes.
He earned a PhD from the Université d’Aix-Marseille in 2011, the same year he began working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva.
At CERN, he became a leading expert in electronic system reliability. By 2013, he was managing projects and developing radiation-resistant power control systems for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
Between 2018 and 2020, he was responsible for round-the-clock LHC operations, ensuring peak performance. He also contributed to the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme as a technical expert and reviewer.
Stellar year for Polish astronaut: he weds before historic space mission
This year is special for Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski not only because of his cosmic adventure but also due to his wedding, which took place on January 2.
Uznański married Aleksandra Wiśniewska, a Polish politician with Thai roots.
The couple adopted double-barreled surnames, becoming Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Aleksandra Uznańska-Wiśniewska.
A mission years in the making: Poland’s path to ISS
Uznański-Wiśniewski’s path to space accelerated in 2022 when he was selected as a reserve astronaut by the European Space Agency (ESA), chosen from thousands of applicants.
His participation in Ax-4 is the result of a joint agreement between Poland’s Ministry of Development and Technology and ESA, with support from the Polish Space Agency (POLSA).
The project includes Poland’s “Ignis” science and technology mission aboard the ISS, during which Uznański-Wiśniewski will carry out microgravity experiments designed by Polish researchers.
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Source: IAR/PAP/X/@AK_Wisniewska/@MRiTGOVPL/@SpaceX