It may sound incredible, and certainly a few years ago, with Greece in crisis and on the brink of Grexit, nobody would have believed it, but Greece is going to send a person into space.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced this after a meeting with Adrianos Golemis, the only Greek who has successfully passed all astronaut tests since 2022 and who entered the European Space Agency (ESA) training programme a few months ago.
The launch is expected to take place within the next two years and the mission will last up to three weeks, as part of the new National Space Strategy, which looks ahead to 2035.
The decision was taken on Thursday at a meeting at the Maximos Mansion and was announced on Friday morning.
Over the next two years, Adrianos will be travelling into space. It is an investment we are making as a country, which has both symbolic and substantive value.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: “A great moment for Greece”
Speaking at the presentation of the Greek space programme and the space mission of Adrianos Golemis, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “As far as the symbolism is concerned I do not want to say much more, but I would really like Adrianos, who will shoulder this heavy responsibility, to convey above all to schools, to young children, why space matters.”
“And to act as a catalyst for inspiration for a young generation that is today seeking hope in an environment which can sometimes appear very bleak. We all saw, I think, how closely the global public followed the ‘Artemis’ mission.”
“Let us also consider the names chosen by NASA. They are Greek; we hardly even think about it. Why ‘Artemis’? Why ‘Apollo’? I believe we have something more to contribute, as an ancient civilisation, to this whole discussion.”
“However, it also has a practical value. When Adrianos is in space, he will carry out experiments and I want those experiments to reflect Greek research priorities.”
“So very soon we will issue the relevant call, so that during the days he is on the International Space Station he can work on experiments and research relating to the Greek research community and, why not, to Greek industry as well.”
“So I think this is a special moment for the country, an important moment, for us to be able to say that within this timeframe we will have the first Greek astronaut.”
“This is an investment our country is making, in cooperation with the European Space Agency, but, to say it in English, ‘money well spent’, I believe.”
What the Greek astronaut will do
The Greek astronaut will carry out experiments and technological demonstrations proposed by dozens of Greek research teams, bodies and universities; Greek companies will have the opportunity to showcase innovative solutions in space conditions; valuable data will be collected and used for applications and further research, while at the same time there is scope to develop important partnerships with international partners.
Beyond strengthening Greek research and showcasing Greek technologies, programmes will be implemented to encourage young people to engage with science and its practical applications.
Among other ideas discussed were organising a school competition to build a satellite, holding STEM competitions and sending questions from pupils to the astronauts serving on the ISS.
Who is Adrianos Golemis
Since 2022 Greece has had the good fortune to count an astronaut among its ranks, or, to be more precise, one of the 25 candidates who successfully passed all the tests of the European Space Agency. Adrianos Golemis, however, is more than that.
Since 2018 he has been a doctor to astronauts in cooperation with the French Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology, Medes; he lives with them and looks after them on every mission, and knows first-hand the demands of conditions in space.
In March 2024 euronews spoke to Adrianos, who set out his vision for a Greek mission to space. Just over two years later, the project is finally on track and Adrianos is preparing for the International Space Station.
Greece in the commercial spaceflight programme
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher congratulated Greece on developing its European programme and revealed that “following a request from Greece, the European Space Agency will support the exploration of the potential for commercial space flights for Greek citizens”.