Projects, Initiatives & Services
This page presents selected research initiatives, scientific projects, and applied activities of the Space Physics Department, including international collaborations, educational programmes, and services related to space weather monitoring and forecasting.
On , the Branch Cosmos of the Union of Physicists in Bulgaria was established. Marusja Buchvarova and Ludmil Bankov were among the founding members.
Initiative for a National Space Programme (2018–2020)
Following coordination meetings in late 2018, the Space Physics Department joined an initiative led by the Faculty of Physics at Sofia University to develop a National Space Programme involving scientific organisations and universities across Bulgaria. Weekly meetings were held from January to the end of March 2019, leading to the submission of a proposal (ref. No. 0401-104/01.04.2019) to the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria. Marusja Buchvarova established the Initiative website.
Introducing school and youth audiences to research approaches in physics, with a particular focus on astronomy, space physics, and space technologies (Contract No. ДСД-15/21.08.2019).
Organizing student lectures (online and onsite) on astronomy, space physics, and space technologies in a discussion-based format, including visits to scientific institutions and museums.
Introducing a research-based approach to teaching astronomy and space physics, and preparing students for physics and astronomy Olympiads (Contract No. ДСД-2/05.04.2017).
An online educational platform (Moodle) with interactive lessons and resources in astronomy and physics was developed and maintained, combined with weekly training sessions, laboratory classes, and astronomical observations to prepare students for national and international physics and astronomy Olympiads.
POPDAT (FP7) – Problem-Oriented Processing and Database Creation for Ionosphere Exploration
FP7 collaborative project (GA No. 263240, 2011–2013) developing the Ionosphere Wave Service – a flexible database of ionospheric wave catalogues for efficient search and analysis of archived data, involving eight organizations from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine.
Center for Space Weather and Space Climate Forecasting
In 2012, the Space Research and Technology Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SRTI-BAS) established the Space Weather Forecast Center, which provided daily three-day forecasts of solar and geomagnetic activity based on the planetary Kp and Ap indices and maintained an archive of observed Kp and Ap index values. The Center ceased operations in 2020.