Today, the Czech Republic is the first post-communist country to join the European Space Agency. The contract on accession to this intergovernmental research and development organization will be signed by its director of the agency and the Czech prime minister.
Under the European Space Agency, Czech scientists can continue the research started thirty years ago. Research is offered not only in outer space, but also in satellite telecommunications and navigation. The European Space Agency's most important projects currently include the work of the European Columbus laboratory on the International Space Station. The research of the planet Venus and the stereophotography of the surface of Mars are also worthy of attention.
However, the Czechs are no newcomers to space either. After the flight of the first Czechoslovak cosmonaut Vladimír Remek in 1978 came a series of journeys of the Czech Magion satellites and work on equipping the probes with measuring instruments.
The European Space Agency deals with space research and space technology. It was founded in 1975 and now includes 17 member countries of the European Union. It is a recognized and equal partner of the American NASA, the Russian Space Agency and the similar Japanese agency NASDA.