Tag Archives: Poland

Private Space Flights Conclude with Pacific Splashdown for Astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary

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Cape Canaveral, Florida – a Private Space Flight from Poland and Hungary, featuring India’s first astronaut in over 40 years, concluded on Tuesday with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

The SpaceX capsules detached from the International Space Station on Monday and parachuted into waters off Southern California less than 24 hours later.

Hungarian Tibor Kapu emerged from SpaceX capsules in Southern California on Tuesday.
SpaceX via AP

The four-member crew launched nearly three weeks ago on a mission arranged by Axiom Space from Houston.

Axiom’s Peggy Whitson, the most seasoned U.S. astronaut, served as commander. She was joined by Shuvansch Shukla from India, Slouz Uznansky Wysniewsky from Poland, and Tibor Kap from Hungary, with the countries collectively investing over $65 million in the mission.

SpaceX capsules carrying four astronauts parachute into the Pacific Ocean off Southern California on Tuesday.
SpaceX via AP

“Thank you for the wonderful ride and safe journey,” Whitson remarked post-splashdown. Her record now surpasses that of other American astronauts and women, encompassing a total of 695 days in space across five missions.

The visiting astronauts executed numerous experiments in orbit, celebrating their heritage. The last instance of India, Poland, and Hungary sending individuals into space was in collaboration with the Soviet Union during the late 1970s and 1980s. They waved and smiled as they exited the capsule one by one into the dim early morning.

Poland’s Slouz Uznanski Wysniewski made landfall in Southern California on Tuesday.
SpaceX via AP

This marked Axiom’s fourth mission for the orbital forward base since 2022 and is part of NASA’s ongoing efforts to expand access to space for more businesses and individuals. The company is among those developing their own space stations to succeed the current one. NASA plans to retire its space station by 2030 after over 30 years of service.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Digital ID cards in Poland: A valuable tool or a barrier to progress in e-Government?

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There has been much talk about the potential for Poland’s economy to surpass that of the UK by 2030, but in some aspects, Poland is already ahead.

One such area is the digital ID card and driving license created by Poles, allowing them to access various public services through the mobile app mObywatel. Users must verify their identity through e-banking login, a digitally enabled physical ID card, or a special “trusted profile” online upon initial access.

With 8 million users, the mObywatel app enables Poles to create a digital ID, check demerit points on their driver’s license, review their car history, monitor local air quality, and find their polling place.

Rafał Sionkowski, a senior government official overseeing the app, emphasized the importance of keeping the core developer team within the public institution to ensure immediate public access to the digitized database.

As more EU countries develop similar apps in anticipation of the EU’s eIDAS 2.0 regulation on electronic identification, authentication, and trust services, significant progress is expected.

The regulation, set to be fully implemented by 2026 or 2027, establishes the legal framework for electronic identification systems that can be used across EU borders. Sionkowski noted that digital driving licenses can be presented in Germany and digital IDs in Spain for verification.

A digital version of your Polish driving license can be stored on your smartphone via an app. Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Sionkowski mentioned plans to enhance the app with new features like notifying insurance companies of accidents and exploring its potential in verifying age online and assisting vulnerable groups in accessing public services.

He stressed the importance of focusing on services that people use, highlighting the value added through features like air quality monitors for local readings.

Privacy lawyer Wojciech Kulikki advocated for adhering to strict privacy principles while adding service features to the app. He cautioned against intrusive features like unauthorized location tracking.

Citizens could have more control over their data either through open-source app development for independent oversight or by checking data accessed by other government departments.

Janusz Ciezynski, a former digital minister, noted the smoother rollout of the app in Poland compared to the UK due to the presence of physical ID cards, quelling concerns about privacy infringements.

Ciezynski expressed enthusiasm for incorporating more public services into a single app, envisioning benefits for disaster-affected areas with quick access to funds through virtual payment cards.

Source: www.theguardian.com