Artur B. Chmielewski delighted with the Silesian University of Technology
Space mission manager and Polish engineer associated with NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology - Artur B. Chmielewski visited the Silesian University of Technology. The scientist gave the inaugural lecture and met with the academic community, pupils of the Academic Secondary Comprehensive Schools, students, PhD students, and scientists of the Silesian University of Technology. The result of the visit is the announcement of an extension of cooperation in the implementation of projects for the space sector.
Behind us is a two-day visit of space mission manager and Polish engineer associated with NASA Artur B. Chmielewski at the Silesian University of Technology. During his visit from the 1st to the 2nd of October 2026, an expert in space projects got acquainted with the potential of our University in the field of conducting projects important for the space sector.
On the first day of his visit, the scientist met with the university authorities. The Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Pawełczyk presented the potential of the Silesian University of Technology in the field of space technologies. He talked about education in aviation and space engineering, where every year 200 people are admitted and other fields of study that are related to the spacecraft design.
- We also have 10 student science clubs, consisting of several dozen people. Each of them conducts research in this area. We have a potential that we have already been able to present at the moment when we were applying for the location of the European Space Agency in Silesia. And although the centre will be built in Warsaw, Silesian University of Technology has other ambitious goals in the field of development of space technologies – he said.
- Major space companies are employing our graduates and are located in Gliwice. It is here that we also have the post-mining infrastructure at the Wujek mine, which can be used for space research purposes. These are very widely developed plans. We are also thinking about building an experiment facility for young people in order to let them develop interest in space technologies from an early age We believe that space technology is from the future, - he added.
Artur B. Chmielewski had the opportunity to see the potential of the Silesian University of Technology with his own eyes. He met with representatives of Student Science Clubs, which deal with, among others, the creation of Mars rovers, drones, and satellites. He listened carefully to all the presentations and was happy to provide comments on them. He also made a suggestion as to the direction in which projects should be developed. The students also learned about current trends in the development of space technologies in such prestigious research centres as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA.
After the meeting, the scientist did not hide his admiration for the abilities of students of the Silesian University of Technology.
- I am very impressed with what I saw here. I am surprised by the level of knowledge of the students. The things they do are amazing. In addition, they use good engineering terminology and present interesting problem solving, and this is what space projects are all about – said Artur Chmielewski.
- I work at the Jet Propulsion Lab; this is NASA’s unmanned aerial vehicle centre in Houston. We build spacecraft to go to Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars rovers. We currently have 4 students from Poland on scholarships. We also invite students from the Silesian University of Technology for
the next year. I will find them, I promise, great work related to various space programs, where they will be able to develop – he said.
The Rector of the Silesian University of Technology had no doubt that these words are a promise for the development of excellent cooperation and can become a driving force for students to act.
- Mr Artur Chmielewski offered our students and scientists internships at JPL or NASA, we will try to do everything so that they can take place, because this is also an amazing opportunity for us as a university and for these people. It is also an incentive for other young people to study in engineering fields of study, because they have a great future ahead of them – said the Rector.
After the meeting with students at the Centre of New Technologies, an inspiring meeting with scientists of our University, who openly admitted that they are great fans of Artur B. Chmielewski, took place. The Rector Marek Pawełczyk and Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Sebastian Werle also participated in that meeting.
The presentations were delivered by Dr Eng. Magdalena Mrozek and Dr Eng. Mateusz Smolana from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Dr Eng. Daria Kałużynska and Dr Hab. Eng. Erwin Maciak, Prof. SUT from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Dr Eng. Agata Wijata from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering and Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Michał Kawulok from the Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science. During short presentations, the scientists presented their research, which to some extent deal with space technologies. The projects concerned, among others, the construction of space habitats or the analysis of satellite data.
Scientists had an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and discuss the most important challenges facing the space sector and modern technologies.
- I often talk about the need to build a “technological river” that connects science, universities, startups, business, and institutions. In the United States, such a river is made up, among others, of the best universities, technology companies, and NASA. Ideas created at universities are developed by startups, investors, and industry, and then they go to space programs and specific applications – said Artur B. Chmielewski during the meeting. - In Poland, such a river should begin, among others, at the Silesian University of Technology. I am very impressed with the level of knowledge, ideas, and involvement of students. Campus appearance is of the world class, knowledge - world class, minds too. The big question is: What can we do to combine this potential and use it to create technologies that change the world for the better?
During the conference, the guest admitted that the solutions proposed by scientists of the Silesian University of Technology have the potential to be implemented in centres in the United States. - We need to reach high, develop these technologies and act, - he said.
Artur B. Chmielewski sees an opportunity for the University in the implementation of projects related to testing projects that would meet the needs of the planned mission to the Moon. – If a testing centre for such projects and technologies were established here – at the Silesian University of Technology, scientists from all over the world would come here. “Create a lunar testing ground here, - he said. At the same time, he encouraged scientists to get in touch, giving as an example cooperation with Dr Eng. Witold Janik from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology, who is currently on an internship in California.
- Witold Janik is working on robots that will build a lunar base. Before astronauts land on the moon, we plan to send humanoids to test the conditions before humans land. We want to dress
a humanoid in a special suit; we have a plan to test flights to the Moon and see how these humanoids will perform.
On the second day of the visit, Artur B. Chmielewski met with ALO (Academic Secondary Comprehensive School) pupils from Gliwice and Rybnik as well as pupils of secondary schools in Gliwice. It was a unique opportunity for young space enthusiasts to find out what it is like to work on the most ambitious space projects and what road one needs to follow to become part of the NASA team. He met, among others, with pupils who have had their first successes in the implementation of space projects. The pupils: Oliwia Moucka and Jakub Cebula have won the Team Poland 2026 - AI Worden Endeavor Scholarship Competition. As a reward, they took part in a week-long trip to the United States to Space Camp in the U.S. Space & Rocket Centre in Huntsville. Dr Małgorzata Szymaszek, a teacher of physics at ALO in Gliwice was the supervisor of the pupils in the final of the competition. The guest congratulated the young people and encouraged them to develop their passion and then invited them to an internship in California.
- This is a huge opportunity. To hear this invitation right now is amazing. We are motivated to continue working – they agreed.
The highlight of Artur Chmielewski’s visit was participation in the inauguration of the Academic Year 2026/2027 at the Silesian University of Technology, during which he delivered a lecture entitled “What will we do in space in 5, 10, 30 years and what your role in it will be?”.
The guest drew attention to the directions of development of the space sector based on technologies related to the design of humanoids, space habitats, satellites in agriculture, development of space tourism and data imaging. He encouraged young people to take an interest in the space industry, which will be open to specialists in many disciplines. In the space sector, students of psychology, biology, artists, and engineers of various specialties will find their place.
At the end of the visit Artur Chmielewski will visit the laboratories of the Silesian University of Technology and the aviation hangar of our University.
The inaugural lecture is available on the YouTube channel of the Silesian University of Technology.
fot. Martin Huć, Maciej Mutwil, Jan Szady
