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The Ministry of Transport selected 14 attempts for astronaut Svoboda’s space mission

by AI | 23.Apr 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The best-rated was the dosimeter in the form of a wristwatch, which will contribute to the increased safety of astronauts by accurately monitoring exposure to ionizing radiation, providing valuable data for future space exploration efforts.

Prague, view across the Vltava River to Prague Castle. Photo: ČTK Connect/Olga Patáková.

Prague – The Ministry of Transport has selected 14 research experiments that will be part of the European Space Agency (ESA) space mission. Some experiments will be conducted by Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda on the International Space Station (ISS). Some could begin even before the start of his mission by the end of 2027. The Ministry of Transport announced this in a press release today.

The list of experiments, including conditions, will be sent to the agency this week. ESA will then negotiate with the project proposers. The goal is to finalize contracts for the experiments by this summer. “We need to start working on the production of the experiments as soon as possible so that the first instruments are ready to be launched to the International Space Station ISS by 2027. They should be ready before the mission of Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda, which we expect at the turn of 2027 and 2028,” said Minister of Transport Martin Kupka (ODS).

The ministry selected from 70 projects. This is more than in Poland, which will send its astronaut into space at the end of May. 25 applications made it to the second round of selection. They were evaluated by ESA experts. For each, they issued a technical opinion and recommendations. The projects were subsequently assessed by members of the Czech committee, which oversees the program to support Czech space activities provided by ESA. They selected experiments that take into account the specifics of the ISS, the allowed weight and volume, or the efficiency of the astronaut’s time.

“The highest-rated was a dosimeter in the form of a wristwatch, which will contribute to the safety of astronauts by accurately monitoring exposure to ionizing radiation, providing valuable data for future efforts in space exploration,” said the committee chairman and coordinator of the national project Czech Path to Space Václav Kobera. According to him, the watch project is intended to assist in a potential journey to Mars, where radiation is the biggest unresolved issue. Other experiments, for example, examine the effects of microgravity and radiation on the human body, and test magnetic nano and microrobots. (April 23)