Prague, July 18 (CTK) – Czech Deputy Prime Minister for Research Pavel Belobradek is to meet representatives from the finance and transport ministries in the weeks ahead and speak with them about a space research agency, which would help firms and which experts promote, according to CTK’s information..
The Czech Republic does not yet have a national body which would be a strong state partner for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the U.S. NASA and for the establishment of which firms have long been calling because it could bring them new business opportunities.
The government budget wants to earmark an additional 110 million crowns for space research annually, which would help the country join prestigious programmes of the European missiles Ariane and Vega.
However, it is not known yet whether some of the money will be spent on the establishment of the space agency, too.
Josef Kaspar, director general of the Center for Research, Development and Testing in Aerospace, said the agency would allow Czech firms enter space consortia, which is problematic now.
Czech firms already produce spare parts for major missile technologies and satellites, Kaspar said.
“We have attained certain success during the 20 years we have been trying to offer our technologies abroad. But as long as there is a vision of a national space programme…, we have nothing to offer unless it is embedded in law,.” Adolf Inneman, Rigaku manager, said.
The branches which could assert themselves abroad include X-ray optics, micro gravitation changes, material research as well as engineering industry, Inneman said.
