Brief history of Centrum Badań Kosmicznych PAN
- 1976, 20 September: the Polish Academy of Sciences Presidium establishes the Centrum Badań Kosmicznych.
- 1977, 1 February: the Centrum Badań Kosmicznych PAN officially begins its activity. The scientific staff is a combination of small research groups from the Institute of Geophysics, the Astronomical Observatory of Warsaw University, the Warsaw University of Technology and the Institute of Mathematical Machines. The Centre also includes the Astronomical Observatory in Borowiec (now the Astrogeodynamic Observatory) near Poznań and the Wrocław Heliophysics Labolatory of the PAS Institute of Astronomy (now the Solar Physics Division.)
- 1979, JONOSOND on the satellite Intercosmos – the first space experiment to be carried out independently by the CBK PAN. It launched a series of experimental studies of radio emission of the Earth’s ionosphere induced by external factors.
- 1986, APV-N instrument implementation on the VEGAmission to Comet Halley
- 1989, Project ACTIVE – satellite Intercosmos-24
- 1991, APEX – CBK PAN begins collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and participation in its missions. As a result, two new research areas come to life – the study of thermal characteristics of the atmosphere and surface of the Solar System bodies (CASSINI and ROSETTA missions) and remote sensing studies of Mars, Venus and Mercury (Mars Express, Venus Express, BepiColombo missions).
- 1999, An agreement on cooperation between Poland and the The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat), ratified in October 2001 and extended in 2004 and 2007.
- 2002, CBK PAN participates in construction of astrophysical instruments for the INTEGRAL mission, 24 January – an agreement on cooperation between Poland and the ESA in exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
- 2006 , Carrying out the COMPAS experiment
- 2007, Ratification of the agreement between Poland and the ESA concerning the European Cooperating State, signing the PECS program – at least €1.2m annually for 5 years.
- 2008, CBK PAN participates in construction of astrophysical instruments for the HERSCHEL mission.
