Czech astronaut Ales Svoboda begins the first phase of his space training28/11/2024|Press releases30 October 2024 – Czech astronaut and army fighter pilot Aleš Svoboda is now beginning the first phase of his training as a backup member of the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut team. This milestone came symbolically on the day when we commemorated the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state, and underlines not only the growing importance of the Czech Republic in space missions, but also the ambition of the Czechs to contribute to technological progress in high value-added fields. The mission of the Czech astronaut, which is part of the national project Czech Journey to Space, involves educational activities and popularisation of science, spreading awareness of the importance and benefits of space activities and the Czech Republic's achievements on the international scene. "The aim of the Czech Journey to Space is also to encourage students to study engineering and science – domains that are increasingly calling for young talent in the Czech Republic. Many of our businesses are struggling with a lack of qualified employees and I believe that this project and Aleš Svoboda's mission can help," says transport minister Martin Kupka, under whose ministry space activities fall. The training programme for the European Space Agency's backup astronaut team will take place in several stages at the ESA training centre in Cologne. The opening training phase for the first group of astronauts, which includes Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda, will last from 28 October to 15 December this year, i.e. seven weeks. The astronauts will undergo 263 hours of intensive theoretical and practical training. "The first training block will focus on theory and the introduction to the European Space Agency programmes or the basics of biology. However, the physical part of the training, which is one of the key aspects for the work of an astronaut, will not be missing either. It will include, among other things, winter survival training or diving training, which is linked to training for ascents into free space," describes the first phase of the training of the Czech astronaut-in-training Aleš Svoboda, who will become part of the ESA astronaut team in 2022. The first phase of the training programme will place significant emphasis on understanding the effects of space flight on human health, but will also include media training and astronaut presentation skills training. "Every day of training is an investment in our security and the success of the mission and brings important know-how to the Czech Republic," Svoboda said after the first days of training. The training of the ESA astronaut backup team opens a new chapter in the development of the European astronaut backup team. "The original plan envisaged only limited and less time-consuming training for backup astronauts. However, together with other ESA member states, we have managed to negotiate full training for the backup team, which will be credited to them if a member of the backup is later called up to the main astronaut squad. Aleš Svoboda means huge success for the Czech Republic. Europe will be better prepared for future challenges and space missions," says Václav Kobera, the coordinator of the national space programme. Aleš Svoboda is now facing intense weeks in Cologne. The next stages of training will take place in the coming years and will include training in survival at sea, but also the basics of anatomy and physiology, the principles of space flight or an introduction to the control of robotic systems.