The first Czech company engaged in the development of the next-generation carrier rocket
Prague, 22nd November 2010 - a Czech workplace managed to push through in the development of launchers for the first time within the Czech Republic's membership in the European Space Agency. It happened 10th November 2010, when an agreement was signed between the representatives of the Czech chemical company SYNPO and Spanish company EADS CASA Espacio.
Under this agreement, the Czech center of nanostructured polymers and polymers based on renewable resources (Nanocentre), which is a research institute of the SYNPO company, became a member of the international team that solves the ESA project to design a new propellant tank for rocket. SYNPO Company will be responsible for research and development of special polymer layer (liner) in composite tanks for liquid oxygen and hydrogen. Polymeric liner must have excellent barrier properties as well as high toughness at temperatures of liquid hydrogen.
"Czech Space Office traditionally organizes meetings with executives of various thematic programmes of ESA. The Czech organizations have the oportunity to get familiar with this specific area and the participation in European Space Programmes. A seminar held at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports this year in spring, was the first in the field of launcher. Thanks to it we work with several departments on their possible involvement in the ESA and we that SYNPO is not going to be the only Czech workplace involved in ESA launchers programme," says Šimon Kavan, head of the Department of launchers in Czech Space Office.
"We are very pleased that we were able to participate in such a prestigious programme, which supports the development of launchers," says Jiří Zelenka, the head of SYNPO Nanocentre. "The aktivity of Czech Space Office was very helpful. CSO negotiated the most appropriate way of our involvement with ESA. For the project acceptance was important also the expertise we´ve gained in the project subsidized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. The participation in the ESA project will help us to acquire a number of new experiences."
The aim of the project is to reduce the weight of the launcher and by that allow to deliver heavier loads in the orbit. Developed liner uses EADS CASA Espacio for the preparation of the laboratory verification model of the fuel tank for liquid hydrogen. This project is part of the ESA programme focused on the development of future launchers, that intends to ensure the competitiveness of Europe in the field of launchers after the year 2020. A new generation of launchers should replace the existing Ariane 5.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Czech SYNPO is ESA pioneer in programme for the development of future launcher that shows the way to other potential participants from the Czech Republic. With the successful project solution SYNPO gets fair opportunity to participate in the future on producing the new European launchers.