Now the Czechia, together with 23 other e-mails and associated countries of the European Space Agency (ESA), has other opportunities. “The European Space Agency is preparing tender as new astronauts, Czech candidates can also apply, ” it is written in a press release domestic Ministry of Transport.

In total, ESA is looking for four new permanent career astronauts and about twenty alternates. Those interested can register until the end of May. But it has a catch. As people familiar with the circumstances of the Czech space engagement admit, domestic candidates have very little chance. The reason is the fact that the Czechia sends too little money to ESA.

“The piloted flights are covered by the ESA E3P program. The total budget of this program is 2 billion euros (about 52 billion crowns), while the Czechia in this budget (annually, note Red.) annually amount of 1.3 million euros (33.8 million crowns). It is therefore 0.07 percent, which is significantly less than it should be, “explains František Jemelka, a spokesman for the Ministry of Transport.

The Czech representatives officially succeeded last December in ensuring that the amount of the contribution or the nationality did not have a negative effect on the selected astronaut. “Recruitment seeks to better represent ESA Member States with medium and small contributions,” said Erika Verbelen of the agency’s press department.

Off the record, however, informed sources believe that the final decision will be political as a higher contribution, because “no one will pay for the flight together for us”. The organization works on the principle of so-called geographical return. She reckons that the more money a state spends on its operation, the more it will return. One cosmonaut costs about a billion crowns a year, which is much more than the Czech annual contribution to the ESA program.

According to Petr Boháček, who specializes in space policy at the Association for International Affairs research center in Prague and as an advisor to the Pirates, it is a pity. “It would be popular with the public to have their own astronaut, which would justify the necessary increase in financial support for space activities. , “he says, referring to the aforementioned return principle.

Representative from a small to medium-sized state

However, some of the Czech candidates could at least become a substitute. “I know of a number of very high-quality candidates who should be very high. Typically, they are scientists or workers in the space industry,” says Jan Spratek from the Observatory and Planetarium of the Capital City of Prague (Planetum). In the past, he worked in the ESA training office.

In the case of both substitutes and career astronauts, the rule is that there should be at least one representative from a small to medium-sized state. Countries such as Germany, Italy or France, which account for more than 15% of the spaceflight program, have a certain place. The only prerequisite is that a sufficiently qualified candidate will apply for them. It is a reward for a very high and for the Czechia and other countries practically unattainable number of payments. They exceed one hundred million euros a year.

Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen is now the representative of the smaller countries, and if a replacement were sought for him, theoretically it would be a burden on the Czech Republic. Behind the scenes, however, there is more talk of other countries: one of them is Poland, which, for example, sent less money to ESA last year than the Czechia, but set aside more of them for manned flights. Austria or Norway, for example, could be considered.

ESA selects astronauts for the first time since 2008, and the Czech Republic joined the product in the same year. The current tender will run until next October. Successful astronauts await expeditions to orbit the International Space Station (ISS). One of the previously selected ESA candidates, the Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, will come to her by coincidence at the end of next week.

The Czechia focuses on technology

So far, the Czechia is focusing more on the technologies that are used in astronautics. “This includes, for example, the entire field of optical systems, from detectors to lasers, which is such a scientific heritage of the Czech Republic with huge potential,” says analyst Boháček.

When the ESA Solar Orbiter spacecraft launched into space in February this year, mirrors for its METIS telescope were created in the Czech Republic. Czechs also use software in the creation of control, electronic and power supplies for selected devices. “Participation in ESA space programs is a ticket for the Czech company to technologically and financially demanding projects,” says Jemelka from the Ministry of Transport.

However, despite the highly specialized astronaut program, the weakness is the lack of Czech workers. There are currently seven of them. ESA recruits staff on an ongoing basis. “In addition to the expected positions in engineering, science or space data processing, it is necessary to fill a very specific position in space marketing or education,” adds Jemelka.

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