Beginning the new decade with a new, provocative project agenda, the Atlantic Club is turning towards a new frontier of research and discussion regarding space law and its significance in Bulgarian science, education and politics. The goals of the project are multifaceted, fitting the multidisciplinary nature of the discourse on space.

The project seeks:

1. to design a new educational curriculum, including the preparation of relevant literature, in space law for Bulgaria’s law faculties.
2. to showcase  successful research by Bulgarian students in the various aspects of space science.
3. to examine other countries’ national legislation dealing with space law, while involving both national and foreign experts in a broad discussion on the subject.
4. to provide capacity building for law students and professionals in teaching space law in Bulgarian universities.
5. to surveying experts’ opinions about the necessity of a national legal framework on space exploration. A related goal is to prepare this framework alongside the normative principles of UN conventions and resolutions as well as the existing EU legislation.

The project’s first phase will last for nine months and a second phase will span an additional nine months, pending further approval by the sponsor. Activities related to the project include an opening press conference in April 2010, seminars on space law presented by experts in the field, surveys on a national legal framework in space law, and presentations of student projects related to space science.

The Atlantic Club is uniquely positioned to manage this project, given its vast experience in helping regulate Antarctic exploration and fostering a global dialogue concerning its exploitation. Similar issues, such as national and private liability, pollution, accident indemnification and general regulation are involved in the world’s growing interest in space. Hence, building on existing expertise and legal arrangements, the project seeks to stimulate popular interest in space, and the mechanisms for regulating its further exploration.

“Space Challenges 2010”:

The Atlantic Club recently reached an agreement to cooperate with the Space Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences on its initiative:

Space Challenges 2010 (http://spaceedu.net/BG/)

This agreement aims at evoking public interest on space topics and at making students aware of the huge importance of space science in all spheres of modern society. The educational program, Space Challenges 2010, will take place from April 15th to May 30th 2010 at leading Bulgarian universities and will include presentations by Bulgarian astronauts Georgi Ivanov and Alexander Alexandrov as well as the program’s directors. The program will also include a question and answer session with representatives from the world’s leading space programs (NASA, CNES, ESA) via video conference calls.

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As the world’s sixth space nation, having sent both personnel and technology on a number of space explorations, Bulgaria is an appropriate setting for furthering the discussion on space law and engaging scholars and students to look to the next frontier of human exploration. The Atlantic Club is proud to be the driving force behind this new dialogue, which will offer Bulgaria an early look into the future of space, and the potential to become one of Europe’s leaders on space law and exploration.