Czech Space Program Information

Czech Republic Space Program

The Czech Republic (CR) has been considering membership of ESA since 1990 as the best way to promote and develop it's own space program. The date for association deal was September 1995, but that date was delayed and negotiations between CR and ESA are blocked by Czech Ministry of Education, which has responsibility for Czech Space Program.

In the meantime, CR works on some ESA projects as non-member. CR hasn't any kind of space board until now. Czechoslovakia, the federal republic, which was in 1993 split in two independent countries - Czech Republic and Slovak Republic - was one of the leading members of the Intercosmos and Intersputnik Space Programs. Thanks to these programs, our first cosmonaut, Air Force Captain Vladimir Remek, flew on the Russian spaceship Sojuz 28, which docked with the Saljut 6 space station on March 3rd, 1978. He was the first astronaut to fly on a foreign spaceship. Czechoslovakia became the third country worldwide to have it's own astronaut (after USSR and USA).

CR facilities built more than 55 devices for the Intercosmos program, between them lasers for both failed Phobos satellites and instruments for the Vega missions. CR is involved in Aktivny, Apex and Interball programs too. Cechoslovakia launched our first very own satellite, Magion 1, in October 1978 on the Russian launch vehicle Interkosmos with the Interkosmos 18 satellite from Pleseck Cosmodrome. This satellite had some experiments abroad. The second satellite, Magion 2 was launched in 1989, the third one, Magion 3, was launched in 1991. Now the Space programs are developed by some science committees and private companies. There are two main programs: one run by the Astronomic Committee, the second one by the Atmospheric Physic Committee of the Czech Science Committee, and there are some other smaller projects too.

The Atmospheric Physic Committee program is INTERBALL. From 4 satellites of INTERBALL program, 2 are Czech ones (Magion 4 - launched 3rd August 1995 together with INTERBALL 1 satellite from Pleseck Cosmodrome, Magion 5 will be launched in August 1996 with INTERBALL 2). The whole Magion satellite program is concerned with the study of the Earths atmosphere and ionosphere. The INTERBALL Program is part of STEP -Solar Terrestrial Energy Program and ESA CLUSTER program. The Astronomic Committee projects include precise micro acceleration measurement devices, which are supposed to fly on the CEASAR satellite - project of Italy, Czech Rep., Slovak Rep., Hungary and Austria together with X-ray photometer. The second use of that device includes the high altitude test rocket launched by Alabama University. The third one is proposed to fly on later STS missions (again with Alabama University cooperation). That device can be used to measure deviations from the flight path caused by non-gravitational forces. The Czech Republic space program is financed mainly from the Czech Science Fund Program, although some cooperative programs are cofinanced by some foreign funds as well.

Information was obtained from the Czech Science Committee Press Office primarly for use in International Space Camp textbook. They isn't copyrighted, and they isn't part of any state secret.

Added by my father: What is also interesting - J. Gagarin, the first cosmonaut visited Czechoslovakia (Prague) just a few days (I think 1 or 2 days) after finishing his successful mission - so Czechoslovakia was the second country worldwide which had the possibility to see somebody who was in space. And the same was with V. Tereskovova, the first lady cosmonaut.

Last update VII.VII.MCMXCVI AD (7th July 1996)