YSpace - Kostka

TEAM MILESTONES

2022

FOUNDING

Space Applications master's programme launched at FEEC BUT

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication at Brno University of Technology launched the first master's programme in Space Applications in the Czech Republic – the academic cradle of YSpace.

SEPTEMBER

DECEMBER

FOUNDING

YSpace student team established

Five students from the new Space Applications programme at BUT founded YSpace, the first Czech university student team focused on satellite development. The founding aim was to join ESA's Fly Your Satellite! programme.

2023

MISSION

Mission KOSTKA initiated

YSpace began development of KOSTKA, planned to be the first Czech student-designed satellite to reach orbit. The mission tests a custom UHF-band antenna, a digipeater, and radio communications developed in-house, and is a technical stepping stone toward CIMER.

JULY

CONFERENCE

Alpbach Summer School, Austria

Team members attended the prestigious ESA-organised Alpbach Summer School in Austria, an intensive programme blending lectures by leading scientists with hands-on satellite mission design workshops.

CONFERENCE

74th IAC – International Astronautical Congress, Baku, Azerbaijan

YSpace participated in the 74th International Astronautical Congress in Baku, one of the world's most prominent annual gatherings for the global space community.

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

CONFERENCE

European CubeSat Symposium 2023, Leuven, Belgium

YSpace had a paper accepted and presented at the European CubeSat Symposium in Leuven – a major international CubeSat and NanoSat conference. This marked one of the team's first appearances in international academic literature.

2024

MISSION

Space Mission CIMER conceived (biology meets space master's programme launched at FEEC BUT)

YSpace, in partnership with Mendel University in Brno, developed the CIMER mission concept: a 3U CubeSat (30×10×10 cm) carrying cyanobacteria to study oxygen production in microgravity. CIMER stands for Cyanobacteria In Microgravity Environment Research.

JANUARY

JUNE

OUTREACH

Presentation at Meltingpot (Colours of Ostrava festival)

Team members Adam Hláčik, Václav Lazar, and team leader Dominik Klement gave a public talk at Meltingpot within the Colours of Ostrava music and culture festival, promoting space science to a broad audience.

EVENT

Czech President Petr Pavel visits BUT and meets YSpace

Czech President Petr Pavel visits BUT - meets YSpace

Czech President Petr Pavel visits BUT -meets YSpace

Czech President Petr Pavel visits BUT and meets YSpace

During an official working visit to South Moravia, President Petr Pavel visited Brno University of Technology and took personal interest in YSpace's CubeSat designs for real scientific missions. The team showcased their satellite work alongside other BUT student teams.

OCTOBER

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

CIMER mission proposal submitted to ESA Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster 2

Team members prepared and submitted a detailed mission proposal covering scientific goals, technical solutions, project planning, budgeting, and risk management. The proposal integrated contributions from all subsystems into a unified and feasible mission concept.

CONFERENCE

Training Week at ESA HQ, the Netherlands

After passing an initial selection phase, the YSpace team attended Training Week at ESA's headquarters in the Netherlands (a workshop covering all aspects of space mission engineering). They presented the technical and scientific aspects of CIMER to ESA specialists.

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

OUTREACH

ESA selects CIMER – YSpace is 1 of 5 teams chosen worldwide

ESA's expert evaluation committee selected YSpace and Mission CIMER for the Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster programme. YSpace became the first Czech team ever to be selected for this programme. The 18-month programme provides exclusive workshops, state-of-the-art testing facilities, and expert ESA guidance.

2025

ORGANISED EVENT

YSpace hosts Space Meet at BUT – 5 Czech university teams gathered

YSpace organised the second edition of the travelling Space Meet event at the BUT Rectorate, welcoming student space technology teams from across Czech universities (Prague, Pilsen, and Brno). Teams shared experiences in satellite, rocket, and rover development. The first edition had been organised by Czech Rocket Society in Prague in November 2024.

FEBRUARY

APRIL

CONFERENCE

Brno Space Student Conference 2025

YSpace participated in the Brno Space Student Conference 2025, a growing annual event co-hosted by the three largest Brno universities. Team leader Dominik Klement presented both Mission KOSTKA and Mission CIMER to an audience of 130 participants, including ESA BIC representatives and the Brno Space Cluster. This was the third edition and the attendance had grown from 50 at the first edition.

1ST PLACE

YSpace wins inaugural ESA BIC Liftoff Challenge – €2 000 prize

At the final of the first-ever ESA BIC Liftoff Challenge, held at Werich Villa in Prague as part of the Space2Business conference, YSpace won first place and the top prize of €2 000 (CZK 50 000). The jury was impressed by the team's innovative CubeSat antenna design and its commercial potential. YSpace beat four other finalists: LOCTIE, PAL-A, SATALIS, and Thrusteq. The prize money is earmarked to test the antenna for verification on Mission KOSTKA.

OCTOBER

EXHIBITION

Czech Space Week – YSpace at Czech Space Pavilion, Brno

During Czech Space Week 2025, YSpace representatives exhibited at the inaugural Czech Space Pavilion at the Brno Exhibition Centre (Gaudeamus fair), welcoming prospective students and the public. The Czech Space Pavilion was a new initiative co-founded by BUT.

PRESS

ESA BIC Launchpad – YSpace presents at Prague Planetarium

Following the ESA BIC Liftoff Challenge win, YSpace was invited to present their antenna project to investors, space industry representatives, and the international startup ecosystem at the ESA BIC Launchpad at the Prague Planetarium, as part of the Tech Happy Hours conference during Czech Space Week.

NOVEMBER

2026

APRIL

CONFERENCE

Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster 2 Final Design Review Collocations

YSpace travelled to ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, for the Final Design Review (FDR) colocation – the penultimate and most intensive milestone of the 18-month Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster 2 programme. The FDR is conducted in person, with all selected teams working simultaneously in a shared hall alongside ESA technical experts, subsystem by subsystem.

CONFERENCE

Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster 2 Final Design Review Collocations

MISSION

KOSTKA integration complete – passes final vibration testing at VZLU Aerospace

After three years of development, KOSTKA reached full integration at the cleanroom facility of Czech space company VZLU Aerospace. The assembled 1U CubeSat successfully passed final vibration testing – clearing the last technical hurdle before launch. At critical moments, some team members worked up to 48 consecutive hours in the cleanroom to meet the launch provider's requirements.

MISSION

KOSTKA integration complete – passes final vibration testing at VZLU Aerospace

MAY

LAUNCH PREP

KOSTKA handed over to Exolaunch – integration into Falcon 9 deployer

Following successful final testing, YSpace handed KOSTKA over to Exolaunch, which is responsible for transporting the satellite and integrating it into the deployer aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, is planned for beginning of July 2026 transition, which would make KOSTKA the first Czech satellite designed and built exclusively by students to reach orbit.

LAUNCH PREP

KOSTKA handed over to Exolaunch – integration into Falcon 9 deployer

First Czech university team focused on satellite development.