ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgarian satellite Balkan-1 has been launched into space from base in USA

The satellite is a development of the Bulgarian company EnduroSat
Photo: БТА

The Bulgarian satellite Balkan-1 has been launched into Earth orbit to transmit data for the EU's Copernicus programme. The satellite is a development of the Bulgarian company EnduroSat and was launched into space from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara, California, onboard a SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. 

The mission was monitored online at the Naval Postgraduate School Planetarium in Varna. 

The satellite is part of the EU's major space programme, which aims to explore various features of the Earth. It can monitor maritime areas and ships, provide disaster relief, land mapping, coastal monitoring and strategic infrastructure. 

On board the satellite there is a multispectral sensor detecting the content of various chemicals and elements in water and soil, monitoring their quality, analyzing the level of various pollutants and microplastic content. 

This is the first all-Bulgarian satellite with a scientific and security function, Lyubomir Toshev from the Bulgarian company explained to BTA. So far, the company has launched dozens of other satellites, but they have commercial purposes. 
"Balkan-1 is a 32 kg nanosatellite and its sensor has a resolution whose pixel corresponds to 1.5 meters of the Earth's surface. It orbits 500 km above the Earth. It has a planned lifetime of five years, after which it is intended to burn up in the stratosphere to avoid creating space debris, Toshev added.

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria News    Balkan-1 Copernicus programme Earth EnduroSat Lyubomir Toshev nanosatellite satellite space

More from category

Finance Ministry: We do not finance salaries in municipal companies

“The Ministry of Finance does not finance salaries of employees in municipal and private companies , but activities specified in the State Budget Act, the Road Transport Act and the Regulation on the terms and procedure for providing funds for..

published on 4/14/25 11:08 AM

Embassy of Ukraine opens electronic book of condolences for the tragedy in Sumy

The Ukrainian Embassy in Bulgaria has created an electronic book of condolences for the tragedy that took place on Palm Sunday in the city of Sumy. At least 34 people were killed in a Russian ballistic missile strike in the center of the city..

published on 4/14/25 10:40 AM

Public transport workers go on national protest for higher wages

Public transport workers in Sofia, Varna and Ruse took to the streets of the capital under the slogan “Decent work – decent pay! Without transport there is no economy!”, organized by the largest trade unions in the country. The demonstrators..

published on 4/14/25 9:46 AM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Partly Cloudy
Min: 9 | Max: 24
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 8 | Max: 13
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 8 | Max: 13
Partly Cloudy
Min: 12 | Max: 22
Partly Cloudy
Min: 10 | Max: 20
Partly Cloudy
Min: 7 | Max: 23
Partly Cloudy
Min: 7 | Max: 22
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 8 | Max: 17
Partly Cloudy
Min: 6 | Max: 21
Partly Cloudy
Min: 9 | Max: 23
Partly Cloudy
Min: 9 | Max: 23
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 10 | Max: 21
Partly Cloudy
Min: 4 | Max: 22
Partly Cloudy
Min: 5 | Max: 20
Partly Cloudy
Min: 7 | Max: 22
Partly Cloudy
Min: 6 | Max: 23
Partly Cloudy
Min: 7 | Max: 20
Partly Cloudy
Min: 8 | Max: 24
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 10 | Max: 20
Partly Cloudy
Min: 6 | Max: 20
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 6 | Max: 18
Partly Cloudy
Min: 5 | Max: 21
Partly Cloudy
Min: 3 | Max: 22
Partly Cloudy
Min: 5 | Max: 20
Partly Cloudy
Min: 5 | Max: 23
Partly Cloudy
Min: 5 | Max: 19
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 5 | Max: 23
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română
MOST VIEWED

Finance Minister Petkova confirms Bulgaria's readiness for eurozone integration

Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has announced that Bulgaria is ready to join the eurozone. She made the statement at a business breakfast hosted by..

published on 4/15/25 1:37 PM

Bulgarian Banitsa ranks third in prestigious culinary ranking

The traditional Bulgarian banitsa has ranked third in the Best Cheese Dishes list by  Taste Atlas . The Bulgarian Banitsa with Cheese earned 4.5..

published on 4/15/25 10:53 AM

Bulgaria opts out of selling Belene NPP reactors

The reactors intended for Bulgaria's unrealised second nuclear power plant project - Belene - will not be sold. This was announced to journalists by..

published on 4/15/25 4:24 PM

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"