Uznański-Wiśniewski, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency, took the manuscript facsimile with him on the Ignis mission - the first Polish-led scientific and technological expedition to the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission’s name, Ignis (Latin for “fire”), reflected its goal: to test 13 innovative Polish technologies designed for future space use.
The official presentation took place on Thursday, 16 October, at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, before an audience attending the International Chopin Piano Competition.
Viewers watching online later heard the astronaut describe the symbolic gesture:
“This manuscript was with me in space,” he said. “I even took a few photos of it from the station’s observation dome with Earth in the background.
We also have a certificate confirming that this very document travelled with me in orbit.”
Chopin and Polish heritage take flight with astronaut Uznański-Wiśniewski
Uznański-Wiśniewski said taking Chopin’s music into space was meant to represent the universality of culture.
“From the station I saw our beautiful world - continents and countries without borders,” he said. “It reminded me of music, which also connects people everywhere.”
When asked if the emotions he felt in orbit could be compared to those experienced by pianists at the Chopin Competition, he said it was difficult to measure but imagined the performers must face immense pressure and a flood of emotions. He also noted that, for him, music holds special significance as a universal language.
Alongside the Chopin manuscript, the astronaut also carried other symbols of Polish heritage into space - Baltic amber, salt from the Wieliczka mine, items linked to Marie Skłodowska-Curie, works by Nicolaus Copernicus, and poetry by Nobel laureate Wisława Szymborska.
Chopin wraca z kosmosu! Już dziś (16 października) o godzinie 14.15 w Sali Lustrzanej Filharmonii Narodowej odbędzie...
Opublikowany przez Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopina Czwartek, 16 października 2025
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Source: Polskie Radio/PR2/NIFC