Czechs in space

This is a nutshell history of the Czech nation's long-standing interest, an d achievements, in space science, technology and education. It attempts to show that despite difficult periods, this country has always been able to b ring up new ideas and contribute to progress of sciences. The current trans ition into market economy, democratic society, and preparation for integrat ion into the European Union is one of those difficult periods. However, giv en the determination of its people, and proven past record, it has all the prerequisites again to contribute significantly to future space exploration on a global scale, and return to the forefront of technology and science. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.