On Monday afternoon, March 30th, three Greek nanosatellites ERMIS were launched from Cape Canaveral in the USA. Specifically, the satellites, which were built by the Aerospace Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, were launched by SpaceX using the Falcon-9 rocket, with the launch broadcast live through the company’s website. According to information from NKUA, the ERMIS program – [ERMIS Hellenic Cubesat Demonstration Mission] aims to certify new, innovative space technologies and applications, such as 5G communications for the Internet of Things (IoT), satellite telecommunications, and Earth observation with hyperspectral cameras. The NKUA team consists of professors Vaios Lappas, Antonis Paschalis, and the institution’s vice-rector Christos Karagiannis.
Read: NKUA: Three Greek ERMIS nanosatellites launched today from US base (Video)
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“We are systematically investing in knowledge, innovation and our human potential, so that Greece is not merely a technology user, but a producer of solutions with international impact. The National Microsatellite Program constitutes a strategic development lever, strengthening the domestic industry, cooperation between universities, research institutions and businesses, and creating new, quality opportunities for young scientists,” was the message sent by Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastegiou.
Greek microsatellites: What the program entails
Five more Greek satellites were launched today and are now in orbit around Earth as part of the “National Microsatellite Program.” These are experimental, research microsatellites (cubesats) for technological demonstration, which will test new space technologies developed in Greece to strengthen the domestic industry.
The satellites, after being integrated through the companies Exolaunch and D-ORBIT into SpaceX’s Falcon 9/Transporter-16 (T-16) rocket, were launched on March 30th at 14:02 Greek time from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The successful launch and orbital deployment continues the “National Microsatellite Program,” which now establishes our country in the modern technological and space ecosystem.
Specifically, the T-16 launch included on the Greek side:
• Two research cubesats named ERMIS-1 and ERMIS-2, developed by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) in collaboration with OQ Hellas and other national institutions, aimed at demonstrating secure satellite connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies from space.
• Three experimental research cubesats named ERMIS-3, PeakSat, Optisat developed by NKUA, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), and Planetek respectively. They will focus on secure optical satellite connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The goal will be coordinated connection with three ground optical stations under upgrade in collaboration with national observatories (Chelmos, Skinakas, Cholomontas).
