Podcast in English
Audio Player
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.

More from category

The new week starts with warm weather

On Monday morning, there will be scattered high clouds, more significant over the central and eastern parts of Bulgaria. Rain showers are expected in some mountainous areas, the Upper Thracian Plain and the Pre-Balkans, and later in the northeastern..

published on 5/4/25 6:35 PM

Oil slicks surface on the beach in Pomorie

For the third day, the beach in Pomorie has been covered with oil slicks that continue to surface. Although Pomorie Mayor Ivan Alexiev is aware of the problem, the municipality has not taken action to clean it up, according to the Regional..

published on 5/4/25 4:42 PM

There will be no military equipment at the May 6 parade

There will be no military equipment at the festive parade on May 6— The Day of Valor and the Bulgarian Armed Forces. However, about 700 servicemen will march on the Knyaz Alexander I Square, Brigadier General Bozhidar Boykov said. In his words, people..

published on 5/4/25 3:39 PM