On Monday 10 February 2020 at 5:03 local time the Solar Orbiter spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA), which the Czech Republic significantly helped to prepare, will be launched into space from Florida's Cape Canaveral. Its task will be to study the Sun in a complex way, especially the solar magnetism, solar wind and the formation of high-energy particles. The spacecraft will also bring the very first view of both solar poles. New insights obtained from the measurements of the Solar Orbiter will help to better understand the Sun and its behaviour, which will enable to predict solar activity in a better way in the future and thus protect satellite systems as well as important ground infrastructures (energy networks, aviation, etc.) from the negative effects of currents and emission of high-energy particles coming from the Sun.
While 22.4 kilometres of the D11 motorway towards Poland is under construction between Hradec Králové and Jaroměř, the remaining 40.8 kilometres between Jaroměř – Trutnov and the state border are to be completed no sooner than 2026 – 2027 according to the current plans. According to the Minister of Transport, construction of the remaining sections needs to be accelerated, as the Polish side will reach the border between 2023 and 2024 and traffic complications may arise.
The preparation of the Ore Mountains tunnel of the high-speed rail line from Prague to Dresden may be co-financed by Europe. At a meeting in Berlin today, the Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Karel Havlíček signed a request from the German side to co-finance the preparation of the German section of the cross-border tunnel from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funds.
Evaluation of the operational results of the Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) of the Czech Republic for 2019 confirmed the expected slight decrease in air traffic in the Czech airspace. This development was caused by capacity problems in the region of Central and Western Europe, especially Austria and Hungary, and by the need to relieve the congested airspace above Germany.
In the period from 31 January to 30 April 2020 overtaking for trucks is forbidden on more than 116 km of Czech motorways. The respective road signs were installed by RMD these days. This restriction will apply between 6 am and 10 pm.
The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček assumed the office of the Minister of Transport today. The resort was handed over to him by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, accompanied by the departing minister Vladimír Kremlík. In addition to the well-known objectives in the area of road and motorway sections and watercourses, the priorities of minister Havlíček also include the setting of public procurement control mechanisms, a seamless transition to an electronic vignette and an open rail ticket.