CZECH SPACE TECHNOLOGY "KNOW-HOW" ENTERING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Nowadays, at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century we are the witnesses of a remarkable development in many technological branches. No doubt to say that just the Space technologies belong to the most dynamic ones having an increasing impact on the functioning of the present world in a substantive way. Space technologies are becoming a natural component of many sectors of human activities. This paper is focused on presenting an extraordinary success of the Czech space electronics industry that opens a door to the International Space Station (ISS) which is often considered as the most challenging technical project of the human being ever. At present, sophisticated computations and design activities of a space electronic module called European Laser Timing instrument (ELT) are running under responsibility of a team of Czech researchers and engineers. This instrument will form an integral part of the ACES payload to be operating in the Columbus science laboratory, the Europe's key contribution to the ISS. It is my great pleasure to present here also the fact that the European Polytechnic Institute has become an active player within the Czech space educational activities. Within a framework of a new course called "Electronics in the space devices" established in 2010 the first student team project "Introduction to the ISS systems" was made.