The Solar Orbiter mission with Czech devices on board takes off into space

The European Vega rocket will take 53 satellites from the Kourou spaceport in the French Guyana to orbit. The satellites will be gradually released during the flight from a launch system called dispenser. The system was made in the Czech Republic. This is the most expensive piece of Czech hardware ever launched to space since our joining the European Space Agency in 2008. The rocket was supposed to be launched on Sunday June 21, but the launch was postponed for bad weather.

The Czech satellite VZLUSAT-1 has been in orbit for three years already where it has been successfully checking the abilities of systems used in space. It has been therefore in service three time longer than what is the average service life of CubeSat-type satellites where VZLUSAT-1 belongs. By the end of 2020, its VZLUSAT-2 successor will be launched on the Falcon 9 shuttle of SpaceX from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Also in this case, the satellite will come from the plants of the Research and Testing Institute in Prague.

Today the government approved a new National Space Plan for the period of 2020 – 2025, which builds on the government's effort to support the development of the space industry and excellence in science. The Ministry of Transport wants to support further growth of the space industry through a new space plan so that Czech companies can supply more complex components of satellites and launchers, such as whole instruments or satellite platforms. We also want to focus on supporting innovation, education in technical subjects, technology transfer, promoting promising ideas and their marketing and closer cooperation between universities and industry.