The first educational workshop for secondary school students, devoted to International day of aviation and was held on 26th of April. 2017 at the Space Research and Technology Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SRTI-BAS).The workshop is part of
the initiative ”Space School” organized by SRTI-BAS, Bulgarian Astronautical Society and the Society for Conservation GIS Chapter Bulgaria. About 130 students between 6th and 11th grade from 6 schools in Sofia have participated in the workshop (First English Language School, National High School of Mathematics and Science “Acad. L. Chakalov”, Sofia Vocational High School of Electronics “John Atanassov”, 45 Primary School “Konstantin Velichkov”, 163 Primary School “Chernirizets Hrabur”, 3 High School “Marin Drinov”.
The workshop began with a presentation of the “Space School” initiative, aimed at popularizing aimed at promoting space science and technologies, aerospace technologies for Earth observation, by the coordinator of the initiative Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vanya Stamenova. The Director of SRTI-BAS, Cor. Mem. Petar Getsov introduced the history and the development of the space research in Bulgaria and the current and innovative projects of the Institute to the students. Dr. Iliana Nacheva from the Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technologies, invited as a guest speaker, presented the technology for the production of freeze-dried food and “food for astronauts.”
The workshop continued with thematic lectures covering 
topical scientific fields – remote sensing of the Earth, from space, the use of unmanned aircraft vehicles, exploration of outer space, and the influence of cosmic radiation. The students, divided into 3 groups, attended and heard about 6 thematic lectures:
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- The Possibilities of Satellite Technologies for Earth Observation by Chief Assit. Prof. Dr. Stefan Stamenov;
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- Investigation of Cosmic Radiation and Its Influence on Astronauts by Prof. Tsvetan Dachev;
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- Investigation of Open Space and its Influence on the Qualities of Various Materials by Prof. Dr. Dimitar Teodosiev and Assist. Dr. Anna Buzekova;
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- Equipment for Earth Observation by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valentin Atanasov, Chief. Assist. Prof. Dr. Hristo Lukarski;
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- Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs) and Intelligent Cities by Prof. Dr. Dimo Zafirov;
- The Cosmos in Ecology by Chief. Assist. Prof. Dr. Iva Ivanova, Assist. Natalia Stankova and PhD Student Temenujka Spassova.
During the seminar, students had the opportunity to see
the exhibition of IKIT BAS, where are exposed about 40 apparatus and systems of all 100 developed by Bulgarian scientists and flown into space. The exhibition was presented by Prof. Garo Mardirosyan. The seminar ended with a demonstration of UAVs by the engineers Dobromir Dimitrov and Vasil Petrov.
The feedback from teachers and students was positive and they expressed their willingness to participate in future initiatives and joint activities in the field of space sciences.
Photos from the educational workshop
