A decommissioned mine in Katowice is being considered as a site for testing technologies meant for future lunar and Martian habitats, but the go-ahead depends on private investors.
The project gained new momentum on August 3, when Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański announced in Katowice that a municipal special-purpose company would be created to prepare a feasibility study for a space technology center on the grounds of the decommissioned Wujek mine.
Scientific analyses and the feasibility study are already being prepared. The company is to be set up by three local-government partners: the city of Katowice, the Silesian Voivodeship and the Metropolis GZM. In the view of Marshal Wojciech Saługa, the plan fits a broader global trend.
– The world is heading into space. There is talk of bases on the Moon and future settlement on Mars. These are no longer just stories, but real activities – he said in an interview with WNP.
Underground laboratory with no GPS
Saługa argues that the first bases will be built underground, which is why mines can be used as a testing ground. Underground spaces have no GPS, no internet and no light, so they resemble the harsh conditions of the Moon or Mars.
The planned research may cover autonomous robots, electronic systems, drones, water recovery, oxygen production and plant cultivation. The existing mining infrastructure is seen as an advantage, as it can be reused without building new facilities.
– If we ever build bases on Mars, we will need to produce water, oxygen and food. In a mine we have a ready ecosystem for such research. It is an ideal place to test autonomous devices and systems that will have to work on their own – he added.
Business decision will settle the matter
Saługa makes clear that the project makes sense only if there is real demand from companies. An analysis must first confirm whether business wants to use the facility, and only then can the financing be arranged.
– I take part in meetings with many influential people who may decide about this. I have not heard a single 'no’ yet – said the marshal.
– As a local government, we have to provide infrastructure, roads, rail, logistics and energy. Business itself knows best where the new niches are, and today it is choosing space – Saługa said.
The initiative is part of a wider economic transformation of Upper Silesia, a region historically tied to mining. Work on the concept is already underway in other countries, so speed is important. The region’s future will be discussed in a report titled Silesia of the Future, scheduled to premiere at the Future Mining Forum & Expo from 9 to 11 September 2026 at the International Congress Centre in Katowice.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. WNP.PL
