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V4Kosmos

Czech Spaceflight

Vladimír Remek – First Czechoslovak Astronaut

In 1978, Czechoslovakia reached a significant milestone when Vladimír Remek, a fighter pilot, became the first non-Soviet and non-American astronaut to fly to space aboard Soyuz 28. The mission was not only important for its scientific achievements but also held symbolic significance during the Cold War, highlighting the capabilities and collaborative spirit of the socialist bloc.

The mission included several pioneering scientific objectives developed by Czechoslovak scientists in collaboration with Soviet and Polish counterparts. Key experiments focused on:

  • Studying chlorella algae reproduction in microgravity for air and water recycling.
  • Conducting crystal growth experiments with the Splav furnace.
  • Measuring oxygen supply changes in the body using a Czechoslovak oxymeter.
  • Assessing psychological and medical conditions in confined spaces.
  • Analyzing heat emission variations in microgravity.
  • Observing changes in star brightness and color near the horizon with a Czechoslovak photometer.

Joining the European Space Agency

The Czech Republic joined the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2008. In 2022, out of 22,500 applicants, 17 individuals were selected for ESA’s fourth astronaut class. Five became astronaut candidates, while 12 were placed in the reserve pool for potential future projects. Aleš Svoboda from Czechia was among the reserve astronauts.

Autumn 2022

ESA selected 17 individuals from 22,500 applicants for its fourth astronaut class. Five became astronaut candidates, while 12 were placed in the reserve pool, including Aleš Svoboda from Czechia. Reserves may be chosen for specific projects with the potential to become full astronauts.

December 2023

After careful consideration, the Czech government decided to decline an offer from the private company Axiom Space, which had proposed flying selected astronaut reserves, including those from the Czech Republic, into orbit.

June 2024

The Czech government officially announced its support for a national spaceflight initiative, guaranteeing that a Czech astronaut will be sent into orbit within a five-year horizon, before 2029.

July 2024

Negotiations are set to commence regarding potential astronaut training under the European Space Agency.

October 2024

Part of the members of ESA's reserve astronaut team, including Czech Aleš Svoboda, began the first of three two-month training programs at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. The training covers essential technical and operational skills, spacecraft systems, and emergency preparedness, including survival exercises in water and winter conditions. It also introduces astronauts to extravehicular activity (EVA) through underwater training in ESA’s specialized pool, simulating spacewalks to practice critical tasks such as repairs and equipment installation on the International Space Station (ISS). Aleš Svoboda shared insights into this experience in the Diary of an Astronaut series, published on the popular Czech space exploration website Kosmonautix.cz.

December 2024

Aleš Svoboda successfully completed the first stage of training at the European Astronaut Centre.

March 2025

The Zero-G mission culminated with a parabolic flight, during which 26 students, selected through a multi-phase application process, experienced weightlessness. Among the participants was also Yemi AD – chosen for the private #dearmoon mission, which was supposed to orbit the Moon and capture it artistically. Unfortunately, this mission was cancelled. Aleš Svoboda also took part in the Zero-G flight. This represents an important activity in the popularization of the Czech space program and the Czech Path to Space, whose main goal is to send another Czech into space.

May 2025

The government officially approved Aleš Svoboda’s mission. This includes a subsidy of CZK 400 million in 2025, with additional funding in later years. If all goes according to plan, Aleš Svoboda could fly to the International Space Station in the second half of 2027. The most likely mission provider appears to be Axiom Space, using the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Axiom Space has already completed four similar missions – Marcus Wandt flew on Axiom-3 as part of an ESA mission. On Axiom-4 in 2025, two ESA astronauts flew: Tibor Kapu and Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. Both are astronauts from V4 countries, and more information about them can be found on this website.

June 2024

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched a call for proposals for scientific missions under the Voyage 2050 program. The Czech Republic responded successfully, submitting a total of 13 proposals for medium-sized, fast, and small rapid scientific missions.

The proposals cover various topics, such as the Sun and solar wind (Inanna, DarkSun, SPARK), the study of metallic asteroids (Heavy Metal), and the search for life in space (URIEL). They come from various scientific institutions (including several institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences) and universities (e.g. CTU, MUNI). This is further proof that Czech science and industry have much to offer in space and astronautics.

In addition to these proposals, preparations are underway for already approved ESA missions with Czech contributions – the PLATO telescope for exoplanet detection (launch planned for December 2026), ARIEL for the study of exoplanet atmospheres (launch planned for 2029), and others.