A selective space strategy for small countries

This article analyses the patterns and trends of small countries' participation in various forms of international space cooperation. The background to formulating a national space programme is discussed, together with considerations in linking national needs, stage of development, resources and capacity with those of the international community. The need for a selective national strategy on space activities is demonstrated: efforts must be concentrated around a few reasonably selected goals, provisions for acquiring information must be maintained, and the space programme must prepare the country for rapid development in all other fields of space research and applications, if world trends require. A brief examination of Bulgaria's space activity is made. A series of advanced space investigations have been undertaken in that country, and space technology transfer and spin-offs have resulted, with valuable benefits for the society and the economy.