ESA to support 13 Czech experiments for Aleš Svoboda's mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) will support in the Czech Republic the implementation of 13 Czech scientific and technological experiments that will be part of the upcoming mission of Czech astronaut-in-training Aleš Svoboda to the International Space Station (ISS). These include, among other things, research into the behaviour of the immune system and tumour growth in microgravity, and the world's first project in the field of nanorobotics focused on testing microrobots in space. A detailed presentation of the experiments took place during Czech Space Week, the largest domestic festival of space activities.

Universities, research institutes and businesses from across the country expressed great interest in participating in the Czech mission to the ISS. Seventy proposals were submitted in the initial investigation. In the subsequent call for detailed proposals, 13 of the 25 experiments submitted were selected as the most promising in terms of scientific contribution, technical feasibility, and safety of operation on the station. The strong demand for Czech research on the ISS was one of the impulses for the creation of the national project Czech Journey to Space.

"Obtaining an ESA contract is not a matter of a single assessment, but of an entire process that includes several rounds of expert evaluation," explains Ondřej Rohlík, programme manager and delegate for the Czech Republic to the ESA Programme Council for Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Space Exploration, adding: “Czech teams had to prove that their experiments are of high scientific value while meeting strict technical and safety requirements. They are now starting to work on prototypes, which ESA will evaluate for readiness for integration into ISS systems. Only then will the final flight units for the mission be created.”

The projects selected represent a wide range of Czech research: from biomedicine, nanotechnology and biochemistry to materials engineering and to educational activities for schools. Universities, research institutions and companies from across the country are collaborating on their preparation, including the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava, CTU in Prague, Charles University, Mendel University in Brno, Palacký University in Olomouc, Masaryk University, BUT, BIOCEV, TRL Space, S.A.B., Aerospace and more.

The national mission is a unique and time-limited opportunity for Czech scientists to get their experiments on board the ISS. The thing is that under ESA's regular programmes, smaller countries such as the Czech Republic have only limited opportunities to participate. Project approval can take up to 10 years – longer than the station will even be in operation. The ISS is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2030, so the time slot for new research will close in the coming years. The Czech national mission will bring more domestic scientific experiments to the ISS than all previous missions combined. While the Czech Republic has limited space in regular ESA programmes due to lower contributions, the national mission allows it to fully utilise its domestic potential – and even faster.

"These experiments are, for me, not just scientific projects but also the demonstration of the enormous dedication of the people behind Czech science. I will be honoured to carry the results of our scientists' work aboard the ISS and contribute to research that may have concrete benefits for future missions and for life on Earth," says Aleš Svoboda, the future Czech astronaut who is currently completing the second of three stages of astronaut training at the ESA training centre in Cologne, Germany.

In addition to its scientific contribution, the Czech mission also has a significant educational dimension. Technical and natural science fields currently account for approximately a quarter of all university graduates in the Czech Republic, while in countries with a similar industrial structure, such as Germany, the figure is more than a third. Experience from abroad shows that space missions can significantly boost interest in STEM fields. "In Sweden and Poland, the number of applications to technical universities increased by tens of percent after the announcement of their astronaut missions. And the Czech mission has a similar potential: it can show young people that science and technology bring value and that research with a global impact can also be done from the Czech Republic. If we succeed in awakening young people's interest in technology, physics, or biology, the benefits will apply not only science but also our whole industry. That is why I consider this mission to be an extremely important inves

To support these goals, a nationwide initiative called Czech Journey to Space was created, connecting science, education, and industry and strengthening Czech involvement in space activities. The project includes the preparation of Aleš Svoboda's mission as well as educational projects that bring young people closer to the world of the space industry and research. These include for example the selection of young ambassadors for the Czech space programme and their joint parabolic flight, which symbolically links scientific preparation with the inspiration of a new generation of technicians, engineers and scientists.

Find more about the individual experiments at ceskacestadovesmiru.cz.