BULGARIAN TEENS FLEW A SIMULATED SPACE MISSION TO MARS

Simona Todorova, a Bulgarian student from the Mathematics school in the North Bulgarian city of Rousse returned from a manned mission to Mars. Although it was a simulated journey, Simona fulfilled one of her dreams to experience a spaceflight. It took place in the International Space Camp in Alabama, where she was together with Anton Uzunov, a student from Sofia High School of Mathematics and Milena Krumova – a tutor from the Technical University in Sofia.

Simona and Anton are the first Bulgarian school students to be trained in the international space camp in Huntsville, Alabama. For a week, together with other young people from 17 countries across the world, they trained for the mission in simulators, which were similar to those used by the American astronauts.

Simona took part in three simulated missions, one of which was to Mars. In one of the missions she was chosen to be the capsule commander. She said it was one of the greatest challenges for her. She says the whole experience was great - the team work, the decision-making, being a leader, taking responsibilities.

Simona has always had a particular interest in physics and astronomy, but now, after having met the astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Simona thinks that flying in space is not an impossible dream.