Mitsotakis: the first Greek astronaut, in Paris

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, in Paris, the mission of the first Greek astronaut to space, according to a report by Mononews. The announcement was made at an international space summit held in the French capital, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, as the newspaper TO VIMA also reported. The astronaut named is Adrianos Golemis, a doctor specialising in space medicine, who is described as Greece’s first official astronaut candidate at the European Space Agency (ESA), according to Mononews. Mr Mitsotakis, speaking about Golemis, described him as “a true inspiration,” as TO VIMA recorded.

According to Mononews, the mission is described as a collaboration involving the American NASA and the European Space Agency, with the transport of the Greek astronaut taking place via a SpaceX Dragon capsule, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket, bound for the International Space Station (ISS). TO VIMA confirmed the same details about the vehicle and the mission’s destination, noting the presence of Mitsotakis and Macron at the presentation. Both reports state that this is the first time a Greek citizen is scheduled to travel to space, an element that was presented as a historic moment for the country during the event in Paris. The event in Paris is part of, according to Mononews, a broader international space summit, attended by representatives of states and space organisations, although the two reports do not provide a complete list of participating bodies.

At the presentation in Paris, as Mononews reports, mention was made of a national space programme worth 350 million euros, which was linked to the mission of the first Greek astronaut. The government presented the mission and the programme as a development concerning Greek research and the country’s space industry, according to what was reported from Paris. TO VIMA likewise reported the sense of pride expressed by the prime minister over the selection of a Greek astronaut, describing the moment as significant for the country ahead of its participation in international space missions. Both sources link the announcement to Adrianos Golemis’s role as Greece’s first official astronaut candidate at the European Space Agency, an element presented in Paris as evidence of the country’s participation in European space programmes. However, the two reports do not provide further technical details on how the amount of 350 million euros will be allocated or which bodies will take part in implementing the programme.

Regarding the timeline, the two reports do not fully converge: Mononews mentions a horizon within two years, with indications pointing to 2027, while other parts of the related news coverage also mention 2028 as a possible launch year. The exact date of the mission has not been finalised according to the available reports, and neither source specifies the duration of Golemis’s stay on the International Space Station, the crew he will travel with, or the precise scientific programme of the mission. It is also not clarified whether the launch date will be linked to a specific stage of the 350 million euro national space programme mentioned at the presentation. Neither Mononews nor TO VIMA had recorded, by the time of publication, reactions from other political bodies to the announcement. The development adds to recent news around technology and research in Greece, topics covered by the Greece – Technology section, while for the rest of the day’s political developments see Greece – Politics.