Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

45 years since the flight of Bulgaria’s first astronaut Georgi Ivanov

Georgi Ivanov
Photo: Lovech municipality

Three airplanes will overfly Lovech today at around 5.30 PM, as an air salute on the occasion of the 45th anniversary since the flight in space of the first Bulgarian astronaut Georgi Ivanov. The planes will take off from Donla Mitropoliya air base. They will be flown by experienced pilots in wedge formation.

On this date in 1979, the first joint Soviet-Bulgarian flight on board the space ship Soyuz 33 took place, with Russian astronaut Nikolai Rukavishnikov and Bulgarian astronaut Georgi Ivanov. The ship was launched from Baikonur cosmodrome. As it approached the Salyut 6 orbital station, however the ship’s main engine failed. The crew was unable to slow down and maneuver for docking with the orbital station as planned, and decided to use the backup engine to fly back to Earth. The crew of the Soyuz 33 spent 1 day, 23 hours and 1 minute in space. Bulgaria is the 6th country to have sent an astronaut into space.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Sunshine with temporary cloudiness in the eastern regions expected on Saturday

On Saturday the lowest temperatures will be between 8 and 16°C; in some valleys – between 6° and 9°C, in Sofia – about 8°C. During the day it will be sunny, with temporary increases in cloudiness over Eastern Bulgaria. The wind will..

published on 9/19/25 7:15 PM

IMF recommends higher social security and property taxes in Bulgaria from 2026

The International Monetary Fund has recommended increasing social security and property taxes from 2026 . This was made clear during the hearing of representatives of the Fund's regular mission in the Budget Committee of the National Assembly. It also..

published on 9/19/25 6:15 PM

Vice President Iliana Iotova visits the Bulgarians in Moldova

Vice President Iliana Iotova is visiting Taraclia, Moldova, on September 19-20. Today, she is an official guest at a ceremony to award the winners of the essay contest organized by the Bulgarian National Radio for schoolchildren..

published on 9/19/25 4:30 PM