In a symbolic gesture bridging history and science, a silhouette of the Venus of Věstonice will be placed on the instrument’s electronics. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of this iconic prehistoric figurine, which shares its name with the Roman goddess Venus—the same name as the planet targeted by the European EnVision probe.
The Quest to Understand a Hellish Planet
The EnVision mission, organised by ESA in collaboration with NASA, aims to understand why Venus—a planet similar to Earth in size and composition—evolved into an extremely inhospitable world. The probe will investigate the links between geological activity and the chemical composition of its atmosphere. The launch is scheduled for December 2031.
Czech engineers are playing a significant role in the development of the VenSpec-H instrument, one of the mission’s three main scientific tools. Their task is to design and manufacture the complete electronics suite, without which the instrument could not function. The development is led by the Brno-based company TRL Space.
“This is a major milestone that builds on our long-term effort to be not just suppliers, but co-creators of European space missions,” said Petr Kapoun, CEO of TRL Space.
Brno-based Companies Take on Venus
The project brings together four Czech companies, all based in the city of Brno:
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TRL Space – Lead project coordinator, also responsible for electronics development.
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SAWtronics – Co-development of the electronics.
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AerialComm – Device testing and functional verification.
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G.L. Electronic – Final manufacturing and assembly of printed circuit boards (PCBs).
“The collaboration with our Czech partners is exemplary. We appreciate their professionalism and their ability to engage in the international coordination of the development right from the start,” says Eddy Neefs of the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, which is responsible for the scientific design and development coordination of VenSpec-H.
The scientific community is also involved in the project, specifically a team led by Martin Ferus from the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The team is working on simulations and modelling of the spectral data that the instrument will send back from Venus. This ensures that scientists and engineers are collaborating from the outset to make the data correctly interpretable from the very first transmissions.
TRL Space – Missions from Brno to Space
TRL Space is a dynamic Brno-based company that designs and delivers complete space missions—from initial concept to launch into orbit. It collaborates with ESA and global partners, developing technologies for Earth observation, lunar missions, and beyond. The company is part of the TRL technology group, which also includes TRL Drones, Zaitra, Corac Engineering, AerialComm, and MecMa.
The EnVision mission represents not only a technical achievement but also a cultural legacy. The Venus of Věstonice, the oldest known ceramic representation of a human figure, will become an ambassador for Czech science in space.
Source: Insight Com.
