Inventor Elon Musk joked in his extravagant style when launching his electric vehicle to Mars. Meanwhile celebrated scientist Stephen Hawking warned that in 200 years only mankind will have to find a new planet. Then, people will be forced to become astronauts and their fantasies to fly in space will not be a nostalgic child dream anymore.

Bulgaria should soon have another astronaut and place among the space nations again. This is the main purpose of the Center for Arts Education and it has been working to fulfill this goal for over 14 years. It helps talented children come into contact with space science in real environment.  This year young Bulgarians aged between 9 and 15 can apply for the summer camp at the Space Camp Turkey science and education center in Izmir. They will gain new knowledge in the fields of astronomy, robotics, astrophysics and biology and test the existing facilities that train the future astronauts.

The children make colonies on Mars. They build rockets and launch them into space. They also take part in simulation of real space missions, the program coordinator ofSpace Camp Turkey Gergana Rayzhekova told Radio Bulgaria. The international teams are divided into three groups- some children stay at the ground station, others are sent to the international space station and few children act as astronauts who prepare for space travel. If all children answer the science-related questions correctly they receive access to the flight simulators. Besides, they meet with scientists who tell them about physical laws- why a giant rocket can fly into space and how the solar panels of the International Space Stations are repaired in open space. The conversation with an astronaut from NASA in real time is the highlight.

So far over 850 Bulgarian children fulfilled their space dream- some of them now study at universities abroad, in order to apply for foreign space programmes. Can Bulgaria send another astronaut into space soon?

Bulgarian scientists participate at various projects and many of them tell us what other counties think of Bulgaria-it is not anymore on the space map and is compared with counties that have never sent astronauts in space, Gergana Rayzhekova went on to say. In all honesty, we have not had an astronaut in the past 30 years or so and are not part of the European Space Agency. Currently, we are in negotiations with the agency to join it and if we pay a EUR 1 million fee the agency can start training a Bulgarian astronaut.

The Space Camp Turkey in Izmir hits the start button of our long journey, Gergana Rayzhekova further says. Children learn at this camp that flying into space requires strong teamwork and discipline. They will ask the founder of Mars One mission plan Bas Lansdorp how the preparation for colonization of Mars goes. On March 23 this year Bas Lansdorp will lecture in Bulgaria.

Many believe that colonization of Mars sounds like science fiction, but we know that sooner or later it will become reality, Gergana Rayzhekova contends. Perhaps, Bas Lansdorp will not have enough time at the lecture to name all issues and problems- a very dusty atmosphere, a place containing water which, however, is not like water on Earth. According to scientists, people will not be able to endure such a long trip. That is why many tests are yet to be made until the suitable rocket is built and until we reach a solution on how human body can cope with the harsh conditions on Mars. Moreover, we have to project a colony with everything necessary for life on Mars, including the production of food, water, air, etc.

At last year’s Space Camp Turkey the Bulgarian children asked an American female astronaut what was the most beautiful thing one can see from space. The answer was- the Earth, because it has a halo.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: private library