SGAC Greece

Herein you will find information about the activities of the SGAC in the Greece as well as other news, opportunities or happenings related to the space sector. Space is an interdisciplinary field where people with diverse skill sets fit in. Greece, with its rich tradition and modern efforts, is no exception to that rule. Whatever your own background, culture, age or specific interests may be, we invite you to discover how you can get more involved in this pioneering domain that ranges from satellites to astronauts and from space law to aeronautics, science and education!

Interested in a career in space? Organizing an outreach event in Greece? Looking for a scholarship to attend a space course? How could SGAC help? Don’t hesitate to contact the Greek NPoCs – we’ll be happy to assist in any way we can!

National Points of Contact Greece

Summary of Space Activities in Greece

Greece realizes its endeavours in space primarily through its European Space Agency (ESA) membership, dating from 2005. The country’s space sector is relatively new, yet rapidly developing. At a national level, the Greek Secretariat for Telecommunications and Posts (GSTP) represents Greece at ESA while the creation of a Greek Space Agency is underway.

Other public institutions, such as the National Observatory of Athens (NOA) help coordinate Greece’s space research efforts too. The newly-formed, industry-led si-Cluster heads the country’s advancement in space technologies, bringing together several industrial enterprises as well as university labs. Finally, the Hellenic Association of Space Industry – HASI is a coordinated effort representing the Greek Space Industrial actors.

Memberships: additionally Greece is member of multiple international organisations, including ITU (International Telecommunications Union) , EUTELSAT IGO (European Telecommunications Satellite Organization), INMARSAT (International Mobile Satellite Organization), COPUOS (Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space) and EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) and the EUSPA activities (European Union Space Program Agency).

Universities: Greek universities take part in many ESA projects, for example the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) is involved in ESA’s “AIM” mission and National Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), University of Patras (UoP) are heavily involved in the ERMIS small satellite constellation. Space science communication and dissemination is carried out by keen educators and volunteers who seek to motivate the younger generation to be part of the space sector and convince their contemporaries why it is important to invest in the long-term vision of space exploration and technology. This results in many students and young professionals, from university teams and non-profit organisations, being involved in multiple space related activities. Some of these teams include: ASAT, Beyond Orbit, EUROAVIA, Libre Space Foundation, Space Innovation, SpaceDot, among others.

In recent years, the country has seen a wave of initiatives aimed at developing its space sector, culminating in the 2024 competition for the design and deployment of a national microsatellite constellation.

National Microsatellites Program: Greece’s microsatellite program plans to launch a network of Earth observation satellites by 2026. With a €60 million budget funded by the”Greece 2.0″ recovery plan, this project will support environmental monitoring, disaster response, and climate change tracking. Managed with help from the European Space Agency, the satellites will enhance Greece’s ability to monitor its environment and strengthen its space industry​.

https://hsc.gov.gr/en/greece-acquires-7-earth-observation-microsatellites-within-2026/https://greekcitytimes.com/2024/09/19/greece-launches-ambitious-microsatellite-program-fueling-brain-regain/

Member of ARTEMIS accords: Greece joined the Artemis Accords on February 9, 2024, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., becoming the 35th signatory. The Accords, led by the U.S., promote peaceful and cooperative space exploration, particularly for lunar missions.

Useful Links

  • ESA in Greek – Official webpage of the European Space Agency in Greek
  • General Secretariat for Telecommunications and Posts (ΓΓΤΤ – GSTP) represents Greece at ESA and coordinates the country’s space endeavours si-Cluster
  • Hellenic Space Technologies and Applications Cluster (si-Cluster)
  • Academy of Athens, Office of Space Research & Technology – the Office of Space Research and Technology is headed by Professor Tom Krimigis
  • National Observatory of Athens – NOA pioneers in many aspects of the space sector, ranging from research to education
  • HASI – Website of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry
  • Libre Space Foundation – The Libre Space Foundation has created the first-ever open-source satellite as well as other interesting space-related projects
  • Master of Science in Space Science, Technologies and Applications – Master’s degree on Space Science, Technologies and Applications by the University of Peloponnese and the National Observatory of Athens
  • International Space University – ISU provides interdisciplinary education on space sciences. The University has a populous Greek alumni community
  • GSRT – The General Secretariat for Research and Technology (ΓΓΕΤ)
  • Hel.A.S. – Website of the Hellenic Astronomical Society (ΕΛ.Α.Σ.)
  • Olympian Centre for Astrophysics – The OCfA is a non-profit institution that organizes international astrophysical symposia and workshops of the highest quality in Greece
  • TIE Lab – The Transformable and Intelligent Environments Laboratory of the Technical University of Crete conducts research on space architecture among other things
  • Evgenidio Foundation – Evgenidio is home to one of the world’s most modern and advanced planetaria, the Foundation also collaborates with the European South Observatory (ESA) on outreach projects
  • Noesis Thessaloniki – Noesis is a science centre and technology museum situated in northern Greece, it also hosts a planetarium
  • Astronomy and Space Society of Volos – Etaireia Astronomias kai Diastimatos is an amateur astronomer society that has received great recognition for its space outreach endeavours, including an award from the President of the Greek Republic
  • Friends of Astronomy Club Thessaloniki – Omilos Filon Astronomias (OFA) is an amateur club of astronomy lovers that contributes substantially to space education and research
  • MissionX: Train like an Astronaut – Train like an Astronaut in Greece, ideal for schools!
  • ESA conference scholarship opportunities – ESA offers scholarship opportunities for students to attend conferences
  • ESA EduSpace Website – ESA website with material on space education in Greek
  • ESA Brochure – ESA’s educational brochure
  • Yuri’s Night – Create your own space event on the anniversary of the first human spaceflight, 12 April!
  • World Space Week – Join tens of thousands of people around the globe as we celebrate the World Space Week in October, sharing in formal or informal, educational or friendly events!
  • Beyond Orbit – Beyond Orbit is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing opportunities to students and young professionals, to gain hands-on experience in engineering projects that combine space with innovation. In this environment, Beyond Robotics was born, the 1st Greek student team to develop a rover to compete in the European Rover Challenge (ERC).
  • Hellenic Space Center (HSC) – The Hellenic Space Center is a Public Body that coordinates public entities and manages national programs in all space sectors, including scientific research and technology, telecommunications, security, environment, agricultural development, etc.

Greek Space and Astronomy Organizations and Resources

Events

Past Events
– 2024
– SGAC: Space Cafe Athens (summer 2024)
– TEDx Machina
– Cleanrooms Excellence International Conference (CEIC) 2024, organised by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

– Future Events
– DEFEA 2025
– SGAC: Space Gluwein Athens (winter 2025)

More is coming soon!

Get in Touch!

Want to join the Greek SGAC Discord? Click here: https://discord.gg/dMtGUM5SE8
GR NPOCs:
– Stratos Rigas [email protected]
– Athanasia Karagianni [email protected]