What seemed an abstract idea until recently is now being analyzed seriously: the Wujek mine in Katowice, which is undergoing liquidation, could be turned into a space technology center. Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański announced on 3 August in Katowice that a local government special-purpose company will be established to prepare a feasibility study for the project.
The special-purpose company is to be created by the city of Katowice, the Silesian Voivodeship and the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis. Marshal Wojciech Saługa believes the plan matches the direction in which global technology is moving.
– 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 actions. The first bases will be built underground, and mines can be an ideal place to test such solutions – said Marshal Wojciech Saługa.
Business support is the key
Saługa stresses that the project makes sense only if private companies get involved. Their interest is the decisive factor.
– In the end, there must be an analysis of whether it makes sense, whether there will be demand and whether private business will want to use it. Only later must the project be put together financially – stressed Wojciech Saługa.
The marshal points out that supporters of the idea already include scientists, officials and entrepreneurs. He takes part in meetings with influential people who may decide whether the investment goes ahead.
– I take part in meetings with many influential people who can decide about this. I have not heard a single „no” yet – added Wojciech Saługa.
Scientific analyses and the feasibility study have already been launched. Saługa says the pace of work matters, because similar projects are being considered elsewhere in the world.
What mine tunnels could test before Mars
Silesia’s advantage is existing mining infrastructure that could be used without building new facilities from scratch. Underground spaces might be used to test solutions intended for conditions similar to the Moon or Mars.
These include autonomous robots, electronic systems, drones, water recovery, oxygen production and plant cultivation. Underground conditions are close to what equipment would face on other celestial bodies.
– This is not a project to sit and dream. You have to test devices, electronics, drones and solutions that will allow man to function underground. 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. Underground there is no GPS, no internet, it is dark. It is an ideal place to test autonomous devices and systems that will have to operate on their own – explained Wojciech Saługa.
For the marshal, the role of local government is to provide infrastructure, roads, rail, logistics and energy, while business should identify new market niches.
– As local government, we have to provide infrastructure, roads, rail, logistics and energy. Business itself knows best where new niches are. And today it is choosing space – argued Wojciech Saługa.
The project is part of the broader economic transformation of the region. In his view, the administration will not decide the directions of business development. A report on these changes, „Silesia of the Future. New Development Directions. Industry, Technology, Energy, Competences, Investments” will premiere at the Future Mining Forum & Expo on 9-11 September 2026 in Katowice.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. WNP.PL
