Bulgaria needs a new astronaut program to bring back the dream of space for the young

On June 26 and 27, the sixth edition of the "Hello, Space! Bulgaria Calling" festival will take place at "Sofia Tech Park". For the first time, the forum will span two days, with the second day dedicated entirely to "education" and "career opportunities" in the fields of science and space technology.

On the occasion of the upcoming event, "Simon Jenner" – an Australian who has dedicated his professional life to astronautics – was a guest on the show "Breakfast on the Grass". After years of working at a company organizing private missions to the "International Space Station", he settled in Bulgaria and founded his own space consulting company.

"I created the company here in Bulgaria. Basically, we exist to help companies get to space. Most of our work is related to human spaceflight," said Jenner.

The "Hello, Space!" festival as a catalyst for space culture

According to him, initiatives like "Hello, Space! Bulgaria Calling" play a key role in building a "space culture" in our country and in encouraging young people to choose careers in science and technology. He emphasized that such forums make space more accessible and understandable.

"I think such initiatives are an extremely powerful source of inspiration. Children have the opportunity to hear from Bulgarian and international speakers who talk about what it is like to work in the space industry," Jenner pointed out.

A growing industry, a shortage of personnel

The expert noted that Bulgaria already has a "growing space industry" but suffers from an acute shortage of trained specialists. According to him, there is a mismatch between the potential of companies and the available human resources.

"We have great space companies, but we don't have enough talent in this field. We need many more young people to go through the educational system and then join the space sector," said Jenner.

In his capacity as Chairman of the "Industry Advisory Board" to the "Bulgarian Space Cluster", he is working for closer cooperation between business and state institutions to develop the overall space ecosystem in our country.

Why Bulgaria needs an astronaut program again

Jenner placed a special emphasis in the conversation on the need for Bulgaria to have a national astronaut program again. He recalled that the country already has historical experience and successes in this direction.

"Your country was very lucky to already have two astronauts who have flown in space. Back then, a career as an astronaut became a completely realistic goal that Bulgarians could aspire to," noted Jenner.

However, according to him, today's generation of young people does not have a modern Bulgarian example to inspire them in the same way. There is a lack of a figure they can identify with.

"The children who are looking for their inspiration today do not see a Bulgarian astronaut representing them. They do not see someone to look up to who is close to their age group," believes Jenner.

He emphasized that it has been proven globally: the emergence of a "national astronaut" acts as a powerful stimulus for young people to pursue "science, technology, engineering, and mathematics".

Space programs as an investment, not an expense

When asked how realistic it is for Bulgaria to develop an astronaut program with limited public resources, Simon Jenner insisted that space initiatives should be viewed as a "long-term investment" rather than just a budget item.

"People look at this as an expense, when they should look at it as an investment. There have been many studies that show that every dollar or euro invested in space programs returns to society many times over," he said.

According to him, countries benefit not only through the development of new technologies and innovations but also by creating "highly qualified specialists" and stimulating interest in engineering and natural sciences. In the long run, this leads to a more competitive economy and higher added value.

"When we talk about a country with an incredibly intelligent and talented population that needs more people heading toward engineering sciences, I think this is one of the opportunities that can be used to inspire them," concluded Simon Jenner.