Τhe launch of the 3 Greek ERMIS nanosatellites from a US base

March 30, 2026
Written by E.Tsiliopoulos

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Τhe launch of the 3 Greek ERMIS nanosatellites from a US base

The 3 ERMIS nanosatellites "Made in Greece" manufactured at the Department of Aerospace Engineering of the National University of Athens were launched into space, in an orbit of 500 km.

The 3 ERMIS nanosatellites 1, 2 and 3 were launched today at noon (13:45) by SpaceX with the Falcon-9 rocket.

The ERMIS - [ERMIS Hellenic Cubesat Demonstration Mission] program aims to certify new, innovative space technologies and applications, such as 5G communications for the Internet of Things (IoT), satellite telecommunications with laser and earth observation with a hyperspectral camera.

What is the Ermis program

The ERMIS program is the first part of the National Microsatellite Program with a budget of 200 million Euros and is funded by the European Recovery Fund (RRF - EU Next Generation EU).

The project, with a budget of approximately 4.9 million Euros, is coordinated by the newly established Department of Aerospace Science & Technology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (www.aerospace.uoa.gr) and involves OQ Hellas, the University of Patras, the University of the Aegean and the National Observatory of Athens. The ERMIS space mission is supervised by the European Space Agency (ESA) with the support of the Ministry of Digital Governance.

Brief information about the ERMIS space mission: Within the framework of the ERMIS program, three technologically advanced nanosatellites (CubeSats) were constructed in Greece, with an emphasis on 5G/IoT telecommunications, inter-satellite link and hyperspectral remote sensing, and new technologies that have been developed in Greece will be certified for the first time, such as: IoT/5G communications, inter-satellite links, image data processing in orbit using hardware accelerators for hyperspectral image compression algorithms and optical channel coding according to CCSDS space standards, automatic control algorithms for the observation and control of the precise position of the satellite, optical laser communications and connection of the satellite with the optical space ground station in Helmos, as well as hyperspectral remote sensing with an accuracy of 5m for space applications of national interest, such as smart agriculture.