19–20 November 2026 | CoE UNITe, Sofia, Bulgaria
National Space Forum 2026
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19–20 November 2026 | CoE UNITe, Sofia, Bulgaria
The National Space Forum (NaFSKI) highlights the most recent advancements in education, science, and business within the field of space research in Bulgaria. It brings together prominent figures from both Bulgaria and abroad, fostering new opportunities for collaboration and engagement.
The seventh National Space Forum (NaFSKI-VII) is organised by Branch Cosmos of the Union of Physicists in Bulgaria and Sofia Space Labs.
and members of
Media Partners
08:30-09:30 Registration
09:30-10:00 Official opening
10:00-11:20 Session: Detecting Other Worlds {moderator: TBD}
10:00-10:40 invited speaker: Trifon Trifonov [Sofia University, Bulgaria] Results of the EXO-RESTART project
10:40-11:20 invited speaker: Supriya Chakrabarti [University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA] Flight demonstration of a High-Contrast Imaging for exoplanetary investigations and Field demonstration of Spectroscopic imaging under Sunlit sky
11:20-11:50 Coffee break
11:50-13:00 Session: Observing Beyond the Visible {moderator: TBD}
11:50-12:30 invited speaker: Oliver Roberts [University of Galway, Ireland] To Infinity and Beyond – Instruments for the Invisible Universe
12:30-12:50 Damian Georgiev [Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria] AI-Assisted Optimization of a Parabolic Reflector Feed for 21-cm Hydrogen-Line Observations
12:50-13:00 Open discussion
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-16:00 Session: Bringing Space Down to Earth {moderator: TBD}
14:00-14:40 invited speaker: Stella Tkatchova [Space Applications Services, Belgium] R&I opportunities for commercialization of lunar rovers
14:40-15:00 Ivaylo Klecherov [Fluid Codes (Ansys, part of Synopsys), Bulgaria] Hypervelocity impact simulations
15:00-15:20 Hristo Gelov [Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”] Determination of orbital parameters of artificial satellites using optical telescope
15:20-15:40 Dariy Topuzov [ULSIT] Introducing Quantum Technologies for Space through Informal Learning: A Scalable Framework for Museums, Science Centres and Space Agencies
15:40-16:00 Rositsa Miteva [Institute of Astronomy with NAO – BAS, Bulgaria] New publication possibilities in the fields of space research and astronomy
16:00-16:30 Coffee break
16:30-18:00 Poster session
19 November
08:30 – 18:00
20 November
08:30 – 18:00
08:30-09:30 Registration
09:30-11:10 Session: New Messengers from the Universe {moderator: TBD}
09:30-10:10 invited speaker: Pia Astone [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy] Gravitational-Wave Astronomy: From Discovery to Precision Exploration of the Universe
10:10-10:50 invited speaker: Deyan Mihaylov [Case Western Reserve University, USA / Sofia University, Bulgaria] Exploring the Universe with Gravitational Waves
10:50-11:10 Galin Bistrev [Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”] A Study of Earth-Skimming Tau Neutrinos for Neutrino Astronomy
11:10-11:40 Coffee break
11:40-13:00 Session: The Building Blocks of Matter {moderator: TBD}
11:40-12:00 Maia Velusheva [Sofia University and INRNE – BAS] Investigating the mass of the Z-boson using CMS Open Data. Calculating the mass of the W-boson and the Weinberg Mixing Angle
12:00-12:20 Victoria Diksokova [Sofia University and INRNE – BAS] Studying Jet Activity in Drell–Yan Events with Leptonic Final States with CMS Open Data
12:20-12:40 Ruslan Nastaev [Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”] Cluster reconstruction in segmented detectors using machine learning methods
12:40-13:00 Open discussion
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-16:00 Session: Between the Earth and the Sky {moderator: TBD}
14:00-14:40 invited speaker: Kamen Kozarev [Institute of Astronomy with NAO – BAS, Bulgaria] Building the first Bulgarian professional radio telescope LOFAR-BG as part of the upgraded Low Frequency Array pan-European radio telescope (LOFAR2.0)
14:40-15:00 Preslava Boycheva, Simeon Monov [Sofia University / Naval Academy “Nikola Vaptsarov”] Technical and Atmospheric Requirements for Ground-Based Astrophotometry
15:00-15:20 Ralena Dimitrova [Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”] Hydrometeorological characteristics of the heatwaves in 2023–2025
15:20-15:40 Guergana Guerova [Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”] GNSS meteorology with low cost sensors
15:40-16:00 Open discussion
16:00-16:30 Coffee break
16:30-18:00 Session: Round Table and Closing {moderator: TBD}
16:30-17:30 Round table with invited speakers
17:30-18:00 Closing
Branch Cosmos of the Union of the Physicists in Bulgaria is not responsible for the content of the presentations submitted by the participants in NaFSKI-VII.
All research with original results presented during NaFSKI-VII, including in the e-poster session, is eligible for publication in the proceedings.
The call for papers for the NaFSKI-VII proceedings will open after the forum concludes. All presenters will be notified.
NaFSKI-VII will be held at the Center of Excellence UNITe.
address: Blvd “James Bourchier” 5G, Sofia, Bulgaria
Program Advisory Committee
Deyan MIHAYLOV [Case Western Reserve University / Faculty of Physics, Sofia University]
Rositsa MITEVA [Institute of Astronomy with National Astronomical Observatory – BAS]
Oliver ROBERTS [University of Galway]
Local Organising Committee
Liliya ATANASOVA [Medical University – Sofia]
Vladimir BOZHILOV [Faculty of Physics, Sofia University]
Zdravko DIMITROV [Sfera Technologies]
Guergana GUEROVA [Faculty of Physics, Sofia University]
Venelin KOZHUHAROV [Faculty of Physics, Sofia University]
Stefan LALKOVSKI [Faculty of Physics, Sofia University]
Yuliya MUTAFCHIEVA [Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy – BAS]
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