Brno Beams You Up: The Place where Space Research Takes Off

The story doesn’t end there. Through various cooperation avenues, these companies are able to join multinational projects and contribute to the European space program, which often relies on startups as external developers. Thanks to firms based in this region, Europe isn’t sitting on the sideline in space. On the contrary, Brno is clearly positioning itself for reaching the stars.

What links these companies, and who is pursuing space from Earth and who from orbit?

World From Space

In Brno, everyone knows everyone—and that’s why local space specialists work so closely together. World From Space interprets data, where accurate forecasts become a key element for the business world and exploring the planet beyond our planet. One mission links the company with TRL Space and Zaitra and AIS at the core of their work.

Spacemanic

You can eventually learn to solve a Rubik’s Cube, but building a CubeSat—a mini-satellite the size of the legendary puzzle—is a whole different story. Brno-based Spacemanic, however, can do just that. Its mission is to shorten the time from design to launch, getting mini-satellites into orbit faster.

Zaitra

Even in space, collisions are a risk—and Brno-based Zaitra is tackling the problem. Its software is designed to replace human satellite operators who, among other tasks, monitor collision avoidance. The technology is already in use at fellow Moravian firms Spacemanic and TRL Space. Zaitra’s solution also helps them spot objects that may be of interest for research.

SAB Aerospace

Space has been around for billions of years, but Brno-based SAB Aerospace has only just completed its first decade. The Italian company’s subsidiary in Brno is responsible for the structural and thermal design of the Sentinel-1 satellite, Europe’s primary tool for observing our planet.

Lightigo Space

Laser spectroscopy isn’t exactly an everyday term. But with the help of LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy), this Brno University of Technology spin-off aims to push forward the analysis of what we see in space—for instance, with a device designed to explore the Moon’s surface.

Voltek

We make batteries better. Unlike a Trumpian slogan, there’s nothing boastful about the claim—it’s science aiming beyond Earth’s boundaries. Solar energy harvested in space could be revolutionary, and Voltek plans to play its part with advanced battery upgrades.

Betrian Group

Railways together with space research? That’s exactly the territory of the Betrian Group. The company also works with the European Space Agency (ESA) on developing a warning system for hazardous situations. Its satellite data could be used to accurately locate trains down to just centimeters.

TRL Space

Planting the Czech Flag on the Moon by 2030: the Moravian company is steadily advancing toward this bold ambition. Last year it joined the ILMI Mission, aimed at mapping the Moon’s south pole. Petr Kapoun’s firm launched the Troll satellite in January, the first step in building a Czech-Ukrainian satellite network.

Groundcom.space

Satellites rely on infrastructure back on Earth—and Brno-based Groundcom develops and designs the ground stations that keep them running. The company also operates a network of shared ground stations across several continents, making satellite operations more cost-effective.

Corac Engineering

This company is another piece of the space-tech puzzle alongside Space and Zaitra, because the satellite gathering the right data needs a state-of-the-art encryption system to secure its communication with Earth. And Corac delivers exactly that.

“The intersection of ever-growing know-how with the expanding opportunities of the Czech Space industry has sparked a revolutionary shift in local activities. What has emerged is a scientific and technological hotbed in a country with a strong industrial tradition – a country that does not want to merely také part in space missions, but to design and carry them out,“ says Petr Brož, Geodynamics Department, Geophysical Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences.