The President: Space research is increasingly used in everyday life and Bulgaria will continue to develop its potential in this field

Data from space exploration and related technologies are increasingly used in our daily lives, and Bulgaria will continue to develop its potential, including by deepening international cooperation with the leading countries in this field. This was stated by President Rumen Radev at a meeting with the head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Bill Nelson, who is visiting Bulgaria. Among the participants in the meeting were the Vice President Iliana Yotova, the US Ambassador to our country Kenneth Merten, as well as the young people Adelina Kaneva and Dimitar Marchev, who are the President and Vice President for a day within the framework of the "Manager for a Day" initiative, to which the presidential institution was host today.

The President singled out as particularly promising the expansion of the partnership with the USA in the field of science, including in space research, to which successful Bulgarian companies also have a contribution. At the end of last year, our country joined the "Artemis" agreement, which aims to support space exploration for peaceful purposes. The head of state also expressed hope that regardless of military conflicts in the world, the international community will be able to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons in space.

The importance of space research for the analysis of many processes and phenomena on Earth was also discussed during the conversation and the importance of a sustainable investment policy in this activity was emphasized. The head of state gave an example of the project submitted by the presidential institution to the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan to create a National Center for Aerospace Monitoring, Control and Management, which will qualitatively improve the effectiveness of our country's state policy in areas such as the fight against air pollution and soils, monitoring river and dam levels, countering illegal logging, improving transport infrastructure, urbanization processes and many others.

It was a general opinion that this year's Sofia Science and Art Festival "Hello, Cosmos! Speak Bulgaria" shows the growing interest among young Bulgarians in space research. The event was an occasion for the American astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegría to visit our country.

The director of NASA presented President Rumen Radev with a collage of photos from the flight of SpaceX Crew-8 in March this year, with the Bulgarian and American flags traveling with the crew aboard the spacecraft.