The First Czech Bio-Mission Will Test Sustainable Oxygen Production in Space

Toward the end of 2027, the CIMER satellite will head into orbit. It is being developed by students of the newly established Space Applications program at Brno University of Technology in collaboration with students from Mendel University. A MIBICO container, hidden inside the satellite, will carry a dried colony of cyanobacteria and green algae into orbit. Once the satellite reaches its orbit and all life support systems are activated and tested, these microorganisms will be revived by injecting nutrient solutions.

Will the microorganisms survive the harsh conditions of space and still produce oxygen through photosynthesis? That is the main question the CIMER satellite experiment aims to answer.

“As space missions get longer, questions about food and oxygen production become increasingly pressing. Current systems are often complex and heavy, leading to higher logistics and energy demands. A biological solution could offer a simpler and more sustainable alternative,” explains Dominik Klement, leader of the YSpace team.

If the experiment succeeds, this technology could contribute to more sustainable operations for long-duration space missions or even support future colonization of the Moon or Mars. Research into so-called “desiccation hibernation”—extreme drying followed by revival—could be applied not only to growing biological materials in space but also to potentially supporting astronauts on long flights.
 

Student Success at a European Level

YSpace was founded in 2022 by five students from the Space Applications program at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication at Brno University of Technology. Over the past two years, the project has grown significantly. “The team currently has about 30 members, and more join throughout the year. At the start of the semester, we’ll also hold a small recruitment for predefined positions,” confirms Klement.

YSpace’s journey into space began when the team learned about the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Fly Your Satellite! program. In a comprehensive document of around 60 pages, they outlined their goals, and ESA took a clear interest in their proposal. “The competition was enormous—dozens of teams from across Europe applied in the first phase. Twelve were invited to the final presentation, from which ESA experts chose the top five to join the program,” says Klement, describing how they and four other teams rose to the European forefront.
 
The mission is far from complete, and YSpace still has plenty of work ahead. “We now face an intensive 18-month period in the ESA Fly Your Satellite! program, during which we will refine our design based on feedback from ESA experts,” Klement adds.

It’s not just ESA supporting the project. The team works closely with several companies from the #brnoregion, which contribute expertise and technologies. “We’re collaborating with industrial partners on the satellite’s structural design, developing software interfaces, and testing components in orbit. Many of our members already have internships at these companies, and some former members are now working on other missions and exciting projects,” Klement notes.

The Course of the CIMER Mission

The total mission duration is estimated at nine to twelve months, divided into four phases:
 

1. Launch and Initialization: Stabilizing the satellite, activating core systems like power and communications.
2. Inactive Phase: Monitoring the environment and transmitting basic data on the status of individual systems.
3. Active Phase: Reviving cyanobacteria and measuring oxygen production.
4. Extended Phase: Using the satellite for educational purposes and testing new features.

After the experiments conclude, the satellite will be deorbited to avoid adding to space debris.

More Sustainable Space Missions

CIMER is not just an experiment—it also demonstrates the capabilities of Czech students in space engineering. If successful, the mission could pave the way for further innovations in sustainable space travel and contribute to the development of the Czech space sector.
 
For the students in YSpace, it is not only a scientific challenge but also an opportunity to prove that innovative projects pushing the boundaries of human knowledge can indeed emerge from the Czech Republic. “This project allows us not only to work with cutting-edge technologies but also to gain invaluable hands-on experience in real-world space engineering,” Klement concludes.