Bulgaria in Space

The Bulgarian Aerospace Agency, known as the Space Research Institute or SRI, founded in 1969, is one of the oldest space agencies in the world. SRI conducts research activities related to outer space, including research in astrophysics and it is also involved in the development of satellite applications, control systems and automatic navigation spacecrafts. SRI has a considerable experience in space sciences and space research, given that many Bulgarians scientists were involved in various space programs of the Soviet Union. The Bulgarian Aerospace Agency also managed to send a man into space, becoming the sixth nation in the world to have achieved this goal, in 1979.

The Institute for Space Research and Technology (ICIT) conducts fundamental and applied research in the field of space physics, remote sensing of the Earth and planets, and aerospace technology. For more than 40 years of history ICIT - BAS has significant achievements in the field of space research - created and launched into orbit more than 150 scientific instruments and apparatus and conducted dozens of space experiments under the INTERCOSMOS program and other national and international programs. With the launch of the first Bulgarian spacecraft P-1 in 1972, Bulgaria became the 18th space state in the world. The active development of a number of areas in space research led to the creation of a scientific program and equipment for experiments for the two satellites "Intercosmos Bulgaria - 1300" and "Meteor-Nature".

The activity domain of SRI-BAS (Space Research Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Science) range from fundamental and applied investigations in space physics, astrophysics, image processing, remote sensing, scientific equipment, preparation and execution of experiments for space research, research on control, air and spacecraft systems and related equipment, to material and space technologies creation activities and their transfer in the national economy, to which adds the post-university and master education. In 1997, the Romanian Space Agency and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency signed a cooperation agreement on the peaceful exploration and use of outer space.

The first participation of Bulgarian scientists in space research started in 1969. Bulgarian scientists actively participated in the Interkosmos program, preparing experiments and designing equipment for several satellites and rockets. The first Bulgarian space equipment for ionosphere parameters measurement was created and launched on board satellite Intercosmos - 8 on 1 December 1972. Bulgaria became the 18th space country. Later in 1975 the Central Laboratory for Space Research (CLSR) was founded and the Bulgarian researchers participated successfully in the East European Intercosmos Program, developing equipment and carrying out experiments on the satellites Intercosmos - 12, 14, 19 and the heavy geophysical rockets Vertical - 3, 4, 6, 7, 10.

Bulgarian scientists also participated successfully in international programs such as VENUS-HALLEY (1985), PHOBOS (1988), AKTIVEN (1989), APEX (1990) and INTERBOL (1995, 1996).

The history included the development and operation of the SVET Space Greenhouse (SG) for studying plant growth under microgravity and the NEUROLAB-B system for monitoring the astronaut psycho-physiological status on the MIR OS. Microgravity plant experiments were carried out in the SVET SG on the NASA- MIR and the Russian space program. Unique results in the field of Fundamental Gravitational Biology were obtained: there are no stoppers for plant growth in microgravity and plants can be used in the future Biological Life Support Systems. In particular, they implemented two satellite programs: Interkosmos-Bulgaria-1300 and Meteor-Priroda on the occasion of the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian State, celebrated in 1981. The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has contributed to more than 15 scientific instruments in various un-manned and manned space missions programs.

Bulgaria sent two cosmonauts into space, both of them engaged in Bulgarian scientific programs. The first, Georgi Ivanov, was launched on 10 April 1979 on board Soyuz-33. The scientific program and equipment for this flight were entirely designed by Bulgarian scientists. He was followed by Alexander Alexandrov, who flew as a research cosmonaut on the Mir space station in June 1988.

In 1987 the CLRS became Space Research Institute (SRI). The accumulated experience and scientific knowledge helped the Bulgarian scientists to develop a new scientific program SHIPKA for the flight of the second Bulgarian cosmonaut Alexander Alexandrov in 1988. Fifteen research devices and complexes, that continued working onboard the MIR Orbital Station (OS) long after the Bulgarian flight, were developed and 49 scientific experiments in the field of the space physics, remote sensing, space biology and medicine and space materials were conducted.

Following a technical visit of ESA experts to Bulgarian organisations in October 2014, several potential projects were identified in various domains: space electronics (i.e. instruments), remote sensing (optical, radar), space weather, space science (data exploitation) and space technology (integrated circuits, optics, antennas, electronics and microelectronics).

Space for Bulgaria (Space4BG) project is led by Association Tsiolkovsky. It aims to increase the awareness about space technologies and applications of European Space Agency (ESA) as well as to bring basic space science and technology knowledge to hundreds of young Bulgarians. Space4BG project will nurture local innovation in the high-tech sector leveraging ESA’s enormous experience with successful spin-off initiatives, attract young people to pursue careers in the space sector, increase the competitiveness of private and public organizations, create entrepreneurial environment for young Bulgarians to benefit from ESA’s know-how and help set ground for the future smooth integration of Bulgaria as a permanent member of the European Space Agency.

In 50 years, scientists from the Institute for Space Research and Technology have made Bulgaria the 18th space state in the world, created more than 150 devices that flew on the International Space Station and in orbit around Mars. This was said during the celebration by the director of the institute Prof. Rumen Nedkov. The solemn meeting on the occasion of the anniversary was held on November 6 in the hall "Prof. Marin Drinov ”of BAS. Prof. Nedkov also stressed that ICIT - BAS is in a long - term international partnership with institutions such as the European Space Agency, ROSCOSMOS and the space research institutes of Japan and India. Thanks to the tireless work of our colleagues, results were achieved, which today put Bulgaria on the world map of space countries, said in his address the President of BAS, Acad. Julian Rewalski. Congratulatory addresses were read by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Air Force, institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Agricultural Academy, the Technical University - Sofia, UACEG, the Military Academy and others. The director of the Institute of Microbiology Prof. Hristo Naidenski presented the plaque to the institute in gratitude for the joint work with ICIT. The exposition, which is arranged in the lobby of the Academy, presents the achievements and the latest developments of the institute, as well as unprecedented photographs taken by the ship of the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov "Soyuz 33". I thank my colleagues from IKIT - BAS for convincing me to show these photos, said the astronaut during its opening and wished the scientists their equipment to continue flying in space.