Czech astronaut begins training for ISS mission

Fighter pilot Aleš Svoboda is beginning training for the first Czech mission to the International Space Station, including preparations to pilot a spacecraft, the Czech News Agency reported.

He will undergo training in Europe and the United States for all stages of the 2027 mission, from the launch of a crewed SpaceX Dragon aboard a Falcon 9 rocket to docking with the ISS and returning to Earth.

The European Space Agency is organising the training and mission for the Czech Republic under an agreement with US company Vast.