Visegrad Spaceflight Analog Challenge

Mgr. Bc. Lucie Ráčková is pleased to announce an international popularization activity that will take place this autumn. It is a project supported by the International Visegrad Fund and connects the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland to organize a mock space mission for high school students. The mission will take place at Hydronaut in Prague and aims to awaken students’ interest in participating in research and the ambition to become an astronaut themselves.

Key information:

• What: Visegrad Spaceflight Analog Challenge
• Who: High school students
• Where: Selection – online; Mission – Hydronaut H03 Deep Lab
• When:
  • Sept. 2. Entries open.
  • Application Deadline: September 30 (analogous astronauts + mission control teams)
  • Selection Round – Online Test: 21 September (analogue astronauts)
  • Deadline for experiment proposals: 30 September (Principal Investigators of experiments)
  • Hydronaut Facility Visit: (to be determined, analogue astronauts)
  • Notification of successful experiments: approximately 6 October
  • Selection round – group test: 20 October (analogue astronauts + mission control teams)
  • Announcement of analogue astronauts: approximately 25 October
  • Space mission simulation: 1-3 November

Why participate?

• Test your skills in a competition that mimics the selection process for real spaceflight.
• Take part in a realistic space mission simulation.
• Work on science and technology projects related to space exploration.
• Gain experience working in an international environment with a unified vision and goal.
• Receive financial support for travel to and from the mission.
• Gain opportunities for professional visits to key human spaceflight institutions in Europe.

Shortly after the start of the mission, Czech Space Week takes place November 4-10, 2024, which participants can visit as part of the mission debriefing!

Don’t let your students miss this opportunity to be part of an exciting journey into space exploration. The attached PDF document provides more information about this event, please spread the word!

In the meantime, to get inspired, consider visiting the unique Space Mission exhibition in Brno (CZ). This exhibit, a collaboration between NASA and the Space Museum, features exhibits that have been in space, including spacesuits, rockets, and lunar and Mars rovers. You can try out a gyroscope, experience walking on the moon in virtual reality, experience the sensation of weightlessness in a replica of the Mir station, or see a mission control center from a time before the advent of the Internet and advanced computing technologies.

Furthermore, from 6 to 8 September, the European Rover Challenge (ERC) – Space Robotics Competition will take place in Krakow (PL). Take the opportunity to get involved with them too!

We look forward to your participation!