HELLO, SPACE | Bulgaria Calling 5.0

HELLO SPACE | Bulgaria Calling 5.0 turned Sofia into Bulgaria’s space capital

On June 24, 2025, Sofia Tech Park became the center of science, technology, and space, gathering over 2,300 young people, scientists, researchers, and enthusiasts at the fifth edition of HELLO SPACE | Bulgaria Calling – the largest space and STEAM festival in the country.

Among this year’s star guests were:

• Eytan Stibbe – astronaut from Axiom Space, participant in the Ax-1 mission to the International Space Station;

• Sunita Williams – NASA astronaut, record holder for time spent and spacewalks in open space, and the first woman to complete a triathlon in orbit;

• Jeffrey Manber – pioneer in the commercialization of space and co-founder of Nanoracks;

• Prof. Dr. Henk Hoekstra – leading expert in observational cosmology, involved in creating the first 3D map of the Universe as part of the Euclid project.

The event was opened by Dr. Solomon Passy, president of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria; Vasil Karaivanov, chairman of the board of Sofia Tech Park; and Krasimir Valchev, Minister of Education and Science. Greetings were also delivered by Ivan Goychev, deputy mayor of Sofia Municipality.

More than 50 interactive booths showcased robots, scientific experiments, homemade rockets, drone and VR technology demonstrations, programming, and numerous STEAM activities prepared by leading educational and scientific organizations, universities, and companies. Visitors had the opportunity to participate in workshops, watch demonstrations by the Bulgarian Army Special Forces, and connect live with Stefan Ivanov from the Indian Ocean.

The festival, organized by the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria and the National Space & STEAM Cluster, with the support of Sofia Municipality, the U.S. Embassy, and the Israeli Embassy, aims to inspire the younger generation to pursue careers in science and technology, with the ambition for Bulgaria to send its third astronaut to space.

The event was supported by: America for Bulgaria Foundation, Invest Sofia, Gradus, MSD Manual Professional, Yettel Bulgaria, Samsung, Sunotec, Ceratizit Bulgaria, Aurubis Bulgaria, Kaufland Bulgaria, Dundee Precious Metals, Novo Nordisk, Geotechmin, Sofia Municipality Directorate of Culture, Wiser, Technopolis, BELLA, Lockheed Martin, Asarel-Medet, Ministry of Tourism, Telelink, Sarten, BULATSA, GBS, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and EY Bulgaria.

HELLO SPACE 5.0 once again proved that Bulgaria has the potential and passion for space exploration, technology, and science.