RADA POPOVA, PROGRAM COOORDINATOR – SPACE CHALLENGES 2011, INNOVATIVE PROJECTS COORDINATOR – ASSOCIATION TSIOLKOVSKY

Rada Popova is studying at the School of Law at the University of Vienna where she specializes in International Law. Rada’s main topics of interest are Space Law, Law of the Sea and Intellectual Property Law. Her research explores the current legal issues of space activities and national space legislation in European countries. She is also the author and manager of a project funded by the National Scientific Fund of Bulgaria that aims at promoting space education and creating a curriculum on space law for the Bulgarian Universities.

Rada was an intern at the Space Applications Section of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2010) and at the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Bulgarian Parliament (2008-2009). In January 2011, she was elected as National Point of Contact for Bulgaria for Space Generation Advisory Council together with Raycho Raychev.

Currently, she is part of a working group creating a legal framework for space activities in Bulgaria and is one of the authors of a book on national space legislation funded by the European Parliament. In her presentation for “Space Challenges 2011” Rada will give an overview on the historical development of space law and the legal aspects of space activities.