Greece Prepares for First Space Mission with Greek Astronaut

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Greece has moved from planning to implementation of its first crewed space mission, with Dr Adrianos Golemis set to become the country’s first Greek astronaut.

The mission involves selecting Greek experiments for the International Space Station (ISS), preparing Golemis for the flight, transporting equipment and cargo, and coordinating continuously with the international partners involved in the mission.

Dr Anezzina Solomoni­dou, a planetary scientist at the Hellenic Space Center (ELKEΔ), leads the mission for Greece. Speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), she outlined the preparations, challenges and long-term ambitions behind the historic mission.

“This is a historic mission, as Greece will participate in a crewed space mission with a Greek astronaut for the first time,” Solomoni­dou said.

However, she stressed that the mission’s importance goes beyond the symbolism of being a national first.

“The major challenge is to ensure that this mission does not simply become a historic event, but the starting point for something that will continue,” she said.

“The most important thing for us is to create a meaningful scientific and technological footprint for the country through the mission. The presence of a Greek astronaut on the International Space Station, one of humanity’s most important research laboratories, gives us the opportunity to conduct Greek experiments in microgravity, involve universities, research centres and companies, and develop expertise that will remain after the mission ends.”

She added that Greece’s participation would also place the country more firmly within the new era of space exploration.

“Every step outside the Earth system and closer to space moves us years ahead on every level,” she said.

Preparations in full swing

The PAM-6 mission, also known as VAST-PAM-1, currently has a launch target of no earlier than July 2027, according to Solomoni­dou.

She stressed, however, that the exact schedule could change depending on the overall flight programme and operational requirements. Officials will finalise the launch date and mission duration as preparations progress.

For the teams coordinating the mission, the time remaining before launch is already extremely limited, with preparations now in full swing.

The Greek Ministry of Digital Governance and the Hellenic Space Center played a central role in securing Greece’s participation in VAST-PAM-1, from the initial exploration of the possibility of sending a Greek astronaut into space to discussions and coordination with the European Space Agency (ESA) and other organisations involved.

Their role has now entered its most demanding phase: preparing and implementing Greece’s participation at scientific and operational levels while ensuring that the mission benefits the country’s research, technology and education communities.

Greek experiments selected for the ISS

The Ministry of Digital Governance and the Hellenic Space Center have already invited members of Greece’s scientific and technology community to submit proposals for experiments and activities that could take place during the mission.

“The response was particularly strong, which we consider extremely encouraging,” Solomoni­dou said.

Officials are now evaluating the proposals and examining whether researchers can technically and operationally carry them out aboard the ISS.

The proposals come from across Greece’s research, academic and technology communities and cover a broad range of fields. They include biomedical research and human physiology, biology and cellular models, technology demonstrations, materials science and crystallisation, nutrition and food for space, Earth observation, as well as educational and cultural activities.

Two main criteria will determine the selection of experiments: scientific value and the ability to carry them out in space.

“An experiment may have exceptional scientific value, but it must also be safely integrated within the very specific constraints of a crewed mission,” Solomoni­dou explained.

Researchers will therefore assess scientific quality and originality, the added value of conducting an experiment in microgravity, technological maturity, safety, equipment and resource requirements, the mass and volume of the equipment, the astronaut’s required working time and compatibility with the technical and operational requirements of the ISS and the mission itself.

The experiments represent just one part of a much larger preparation process.

“A crewed space mission requires the coordination of many different teams and organisations, with strict schedules and procedures,” Solomoni­dou said.

Teams must organise the astronaut’s training and preparation, operational and medical procedures, experiment preparation and certification, equipment and cargo transportation, communications, and a major programme to develop the mission’s scientific and educational benefits in Greece.

At the same time, Greek officials must maintain continuous coordination with the ESA, NASA, the US space company Vast, which organises the mission, and its international partners.

“It is a major project-management undertaking in which many different processes must be completed at the right time and with absolute precision,” she said.

From NASA and ESA to Greece’s space agency

Solomoni­dou brings extensive experience to her role. She previously worked as a member of the Cassini-Huygens mission, which spent 13 years exploring the Saturn system and its moon Titan.

She currently participates in the ESA’s JUICE mission and NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, both travelling towards the Jupiter system.

She also serves as Greece’s national representative to the ESA for human and robotic exploration and works on the planning and international coordination of space programmes.

Her experience has taught her that scientific ambition must always match operational reality.

“Space missions have strict deadlines, certification and safety procedures, and many different organisations and teams that must work together in coordination,” she said.

For Greece’s participation in PAM-6, Solomoni­dou identified four main priorities: ensuring the astronaut’s safety and proper preparation, selecting scientifically strong experiments that teams can realistically carry out, meeting demanding schedules, and coordinating effectively among all Greek and international organisations involved.

Mission aims to inspire Greek society

For Solomoni­dou, the mission’s greatest challenge lies beyond the flight itself.

“We want to use this opportunity to create expertise, new partnerships and opportunities for Greece’s scientific and technological community. And, certainly, continuity,” she said.

She also wants the mission to reach Greek society, particularly young people.

“We want students and young people to see that space research, science and technology are not something distant from Greece and that they too can become part of this effort,” she said.

If the mission encourages more young people to pursue science and technology, brings more Greek teams into international space programmes and leaves Greece better prepared for future opportunities in human space exploration, she said, it will achieve something far greater than a single flight.

“Above all, when the mission ends, I want us to have left something permanent behind: experience, expertise and a stronger Greek ecosystem for human spaceflight and exploration,” Solomoni­dou said.

“That, for me, will be the real legacy of Greece’s first crewed space mission.”

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