Program
PROGRAM | 26.06.2026
HELLO SPACE | Bulgaria Calling 6.0
“The Moon, Mars and Beyond: Horizons Without Limits”
Moderators:
Prof. Dr. Milena Georgieva, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Epigenetics and Longevity Institute of Molecular Biology “R. Tsanev”, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladimir Bozhilov, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Lecturer at the Department of Astronomy, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Prof. Dr. Milena Georgieva, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Epigenetics and Longevity Institute of Molecular Biology “R. Tsanev”, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladimir Bozhilov, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Lecturer at the Department of Astronomy, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
01
Good Morning, Space!
11:00 – 11:10
- Greeting from SatCen (pre-recorded message)
- Greetings from Gregory Mann, NASA Europe Representative (pre-recorded message)
02
Part 1: The Moon - Our New Home
11:10 – 12:00
02.1
The "Geography" of the Moon
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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Zhelev, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Geology and Geography of SU "St. Kliment Ohridski" | Geography teacher at Science-Smart School of Sofia | Co-founder of Geograf BG
02.2
My Space Journey: From the Discovery of New Worlds to the Search for Life Under Alien Light
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Dr. Svetoslav Alexandrov, Science popularizer | Creator of the popular science platform "Cosmos BG"
02.3
The Moon - the unknown geological history
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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Docho Dochev, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Geology and Geography of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
03
Lunch Break and Booth visits
12:00 – 13:00
- Time to explore booths and outdoor demonstrations
- Demonstrations by the Bulgarian Army Special Forces Brigade
04
Official Festival Opening
13:00 – 13:40
- Pre-recorded messages from Stefan Ivanov, sailor who crossed the Atlantic, Southern, Northern, and Indian Oceans in rowing boats, and Max Ivanov, the youngest person to cross the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans in a rowboat
- Greetings from organizers, institutions, and partners
- Dr. Solomon Passy, President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria
- Kalin Mutavchiev, Senior Expert at the Science Directorate, Ministry of Education and Science (MES)
- Ivan Goychev, Deputy Mayor in charge of "Digitalization and Information Systems", Sofia Municipality
- Vasil Karaivanov, Chairman of the Management Board of Sofia Tech Park
- Nicole Fox, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the United States in Sofia, Bulgaria
- Desislava Taliokova, Executive Director of the America for Bulgaria Foundation
- Maria Tchakarova, Communications and Project Manager at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Bulgaria
- Lybov Kostova, Chairwoman of the Beautiful Science Foundation
- Bogdan Uzelac, Chief Executive Officer at Yettel Bulgaria
- Bistra Kotseva, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gradus AD
- Special magic tricks with actor and illusionist Nencho Ilchev
- Presentation of the winners of the drawing competition
- Group photo
- Dr. Solomon Passy, President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria
- Kalin Mutavchiev, Senior Expert at the Science Directorate, Ministry of Education and Science (MES)
- Ivan Goychev, Deputy Mayor in charge of "Digitalization and Information Systems", Sofia Municipality
- Vasil Karaivanov, Chairman of the Management Board of Sofia Tech Park
- Nicole Fox, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the United States in Sofia, Bulgaria
- Desislava Taliokova, Executive Director of the America for Bulgaria Foundation
- Maria Tchakarova, Communications and Project Manager at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Bulgaria
- Lybov Kostova, Chairwoman of the Beautiful Science Foundation
- Bogdan Uzelac, Chief Executive Officer at Yettel Bulgaria
- Bistra Kotseva, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gradus AD
05
From Homo Sapiens to Homo Caelestis. Humanity is becoming a Multiplanetary Species
13:40 – 14:00
Tommaso Ghidini, Head of the Mechanical Department at the European Space Agency (ESA)
06
From Bulgaria to NASA and Back: Maxim and Veneta Behar’s Space Training Journey
14:00 – 14:15
07
Space Elevator
14:15 – 14:30
- Yoan Bozhilov, Student (11) | Uchi.BAN participant and awardee (2024–2025) | young space enthusiast and presenter | participant in initiatives of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).
- Alexander Chanakov, Student (10) | Aleko Konstantinov National University, Harmanli | participant in NASA Space Camp - SpaceCamp Izmir | qualified for a scholarship | diverse interests related to Space, Robotics, Electronics, Artificial Intelligence
- Yoana Starkova, Student (18) | recipient of the Outstanding Camper Award from Space Camp Turkey 2022 | scholarship winner for Space Camp Alabama | medalist in the Aviation Challenge 2025 program
Short presentations by pupils and university students featuring ideas, prototypes, and experiments that showcase their vision for the future of Space and technology.
08
How Technology Makes Us More Human
14:30 – 14:55
Monika Rangelova, Program Coordinator at EnduroSat
09
Break on the main stage
14:55 – 15:25
10
OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return
15:25 – 15:45
Sandy Freund, Deep Space Exploration Program Manager at Lockheed Martin Space
(online)
11
Part 2: Mars and Human Missions Beyond the Moon
15:45 – 16:15
11.1
From Mars Mission to Local Change: How to Rebuild a Once-Existing Space Ecosystem and Stay Globally Relevant
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Gaiane Hakobian, Space-Tech Economics Researcher | CEO and Co-Founder, DEPI Space
11.2
Mars up close and far: the new horizons revealed by rovers and telescopes
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Dr. Petya Yanchulova Merica-Jones, Astronome at the Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory Sofia
12
Meeting with Bulgarian Analog Astronauts
16:15 – 16:25
Dr. Vladimir Bozhilov and Dr. Petar Eftimov, Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski”, part of the AM-109 Analog Mission at the Analog Astronaut Training Center, Poland
13
Conversation with an Astronaut: Lessons from Orbit
16:25 – 17:15
Tim Kopra, NASA Astronaut, former U.S. Army Colonel, and Chief Human Exploration Officer
(online)
14
Part 3: Beyond Borders – Missions, Dreams and the New Space Era
17:15 – 17:50
14.1
Life, Technology, and Transformation: Luis Guzmán’s Contemporary Art Practice Beyond Earth
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Luis Guzmán, Co-Director of The Foundry Orbital Art Laboratory (ISS), Project Leader of the Lunar Mission at Moon Gallery Foundation, and PhD Researcher at Northumbria University
(online)
14.2
Space: Far and Near
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Teodosii Teodosiev, known as the “Golden Teacher” of Bulgaria - head teacher of physics and astronomy, the "Nikola Obreshkov" Primary and Secondary School - Kazanlak
14.3
The Book, the Temple, and the Moon: Building Space Culture in Bulgaria
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Dr. Ivelina Kadiri, Senior Regulatory Compliance Manager, AMPECO | Space Policy Researcher, FOGOS Space
15
Closing Ceremony: Space Connects Us
17:30 – 18:30
- Award ceremony for the winners of the astronaut question competition
- Closing remarks from organizers and partners
- Performance by the vocal group “Mickey Mouse”
- Final group photo
16
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
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16.1
Interstellar Chess Wars 3.0
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This year again at the “HELLO SPACE | Bulgaria Calling” festival, chess enthusiasts of all ages will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of strategic battles during the “Interstellar Chess Wars” tournament. Expect a day filled with intense matches, logical challenges, and inspiring encounters, featuring special participation by Bulgaria’s Under-20 Champion Nikola Kanov and under the professional guidance of Master of Sport and chess coach Vasil Kolev.
16.2
Health Corner
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