The Institute for Space Research and Technology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IKIT-BAS) solemnly celebrated its 55th anniversary, together with the 45th anniversary of the flight of the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov and the 20th anniversary of the International Scientific Session “Space-Ecology -Security”.
The anniversaries were celebrated with a solemn jubilee session-meeting, which took place in the building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, in the hall of Prof. Marin Drinov”.
The event is held under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev.
The celebration was attended by the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov, Krasimir Stoyanov, considered the third Bulgarian cosmonaut, cosmonaut Alexander Alexandrov’s backup, along with foreign cosmonauts. Among them were Bertelán Farkaszt of Hungary, Vladimir Remek of the Czech Republic, and Dumitru Pronariou of Romania. All of them worked in the “Intercosmos” program, through which Georgi Ivanov’s flight was carried out.
The event at BAS was attended by scientists from the Institute of Space Research and Technologies, members of BAS, representatives of the Bulgarian Army, the Air Force of the Republic of Bulgaria, students and participants in the conference “Space-Ecology-Security 2024″, writes BTA.
Among those present were the Acting Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov, the Commander of the Air Force Major General Dimitar Petrov, the head of the Military Academy “G.S. Rakovski” gen. major Todor Dochev, the general director of BTA Kiril Valchev.
A congratulatory address for the holiday was read on behalf of President Rumen Radev.
“IKIT’s contribution to Bulgaria’s successful participation in the “Intercosmos” program, on which the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov flew 45 years ago, was decisive. Bulgaria became the sixth country to send a man into space, although it was terminated prematurely due to an emergency situation. This space flight has a unique contribution to the further development of manned flights in space and to rethinking the principles and safety systems of space crews,” President Rumen Radev notes in his congratulatory address.
“In those first years, when the respected astronauts made the first flights and research, no one imagined that today the world cannot live without space technology, without all those systems that are located in space, which support the life of civilization.” , said Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov.
According to him, it is unthinkable today to talk about the defense of any country if it is not based on space technologies.
Milena Damyanova, director of the Science Directorate at the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), read a congratulatory address on behalf of the Acting Minister of Education and Science Prof. Galin Tsokov and the team of the Ministry of Education. In it, it is said that the MES expresses its determination to continue investing in scientific infrastructure, in national human potential, in specific programs for scientific research and innovation, and to continue its support for international cooperation.
The Vice-Chairman of the BAS Art.-Cor. dtn Stefan Hadjitodorov read a congratulatory address on behalf of the chairman of the BAS academic Julian Revalski.
Before the official opening of the celebration, a short press conference was held, where the foreign cosmonauts, together with Georgi Ivanov and Krasimir Stoyanov, shared their experience and information about the “Intercosmos” program.
The Director of the Institute for Space Research and Technology, Prof. Dr. Georgi Zhelev, began his welcoming speech on the occasion of the anniversary with a brief retrospective of how IKIT – BAS has developed over the years since its establishment in 1969.
“In 1972, a space instrument “P1″ – Instrument 1 was launched, when Bulgaria declared its space ambitions in the mastery of space. This makes us the 18th space country in this regard,” noted Prof. Zhelev.
He explained that with the flight of the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov, and then of Alexander Alexandrov, Bulgaria ranked sixth among the countries that sent their own cosmonauts into outer space.
“I am personally proud of what the colleagues before us have done, who have given us this good foundation to build on now, and in the future – I hope, the young people we see here,” commented the director of IKIT – BA.
He explained that a lot of work is currently being done at the Institute regarding the new funding conditions, for the development of science and space research.
According to Prof. Zhelev, if some time ago funding was centralized and perhaps targeted, now it is rather project-based. He noted that this does not prevent the IKIT team from working in almost all spheres of space research – from remote observation and studies of the Earth’s surface through space physics, telemedicine, automata and automated control systems, to nanotechnology and new materials.
“With these studies, we protect a large scientometrics with many publications, citations, with many projects, trained doctoral students in the various programs we support, many patents that we protect at the national level,” said the director of the Institute.
Prof. Zhelev awarded plaques to Georgi Ivanov, Krasimir Stoyanov and Alexander Alexandrov, to the foreign cosmonauts present, as well as to the Chief of the Air Force Major General Dimitar Petrov and to the Chairman of the BAS Academic Julian Revalski as a sign of appreciation for the cooperation and support .
The first Bulgarian cosmonaut recalled the most important years in the activity of the first space research groups in Bulgaria. He told interesting facts from the preparation of his flight and the history of space science on a global scale.
“The beginning of the space age was discovered in 1957, on October 4th. Then the first artificial satellite of the Earth, created in the Soviet Union by the general designer of space rockets and satellites Sergey Pavlovich Korolev, was launched,” said Georgi Ivanov.
At the event, a report was presented “The academic participation of IKIT-BAS in the recognition of Bulgaria as the 18th space country and the further development of Bulgarian space science”.
After the celebration of the anniversary of the establishment of the Institute and of the flight of Georgi Ivanov, art.-cor. Petar Getsov opened the 20th International Scientific Conference “Space-Ecology-Security” with reports by scientists from the USA, India, Austria and Egypt. It will be held from today until October 25. IKIT director Prof. Georgi Zhelev and Prof. Garo Mardirosyan took part in its opening.