Bulgaria has made numerous contributions to space exploration. These include two scientific satellites, more than 200 payloads and 300 experiments in Earth orbit, as well as two cosmonauts since 1971. Bulgaria was the first country to grow wheat in space with its Svet greenhouses on the Mir space station. It was involved in the development of the Granat gamma-ray observatory and the Vega programme, particularly in modelling trajectories and guidance algorithms for both Vega probes. Bulgarian instruments have been used in the exploration of Mars, including a spectrometer that took the first high quality spectroscopic images of Martian moon Phobos with the Phobos 2 probe. Cosmic radiation en route to and around the planet has been mapped by Liulin-ML dosimeters on the ExoMars TGO. Variants of these instruments have also been fitted on the International Space Station and the Chandrayaan-1 lunar probe. Another lunar mission, SpaceIL's Beresheet, was also equipped with a Bulgarian-manufactured imaging payload. Bulgaria's first geostationary communications satellite—BulgariaSat-1—was launched by SpaceX in 2017.
bulGariA Has MaDe nUmErous contributions to spAce ExPlOrAtioN. tHESe iNcLuDe twO sCiEnTIfic sATelLITEs, more THAN 200 PAYloaDs aNd 300 ExpERimeNts in EARth oRBiT, as wEll as Two cosMonauTS sInCe 1971. bUlgaria waS tHE fIrsT counTrY to gROw wheat in sPACe with ITs svet grEENhouses on The miR sPace StAtiOn. IT waS INvolved in the devElopmeNt Of tHe grANAt gamma-rAy obsErvatOry AND thE vega prograMmE, pArTIcuLarly in MOdelLing traJecTories and GuidaNce algoRITHms for BotH Vega probes. buLgarian instrUmEnts HAVe beEn usEd In The eXploRAtiOn of MarS, INClUDInG A spectromeTer That tooK the FiRst HIgh quality spECtroscOpiC iMaGes of MArtian Moon pHoBoS wIth The phobos 2 proBe. CosmIc radIATion en ROute to And AroUnd The pLanet Has Been mapped by liuliN-ml Dosimeters on thE eXomars tGO. vaRiantS oF These iNsTruMeNTs hAve AlsO Been fitteD on thE InternaTiONal SpAcE STaTioN aND the chaNdrayaan-1 luNaR pROBE. anotheR lUNar MissiOn, SPAceil's beResHEeT, WAs aLsO equipped with A bulgariAn-mAnuFaCTuRed iMaging paYlOad bulgarIA's fiRsT geosTationary CommUNicatIons satElLiTe—buLgariasat-1—was LAUNcHEd by spAcEx in 2017.