Greece is preparing to send its first citizen into orbit after a Greek doctor was selected to join the European Space Agency’s astronaut training programme, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said.
Mr. Mitsotakis met with Dr. Adrianos Golemis at the Athens conference “Greece in Orbit: The Next Day,” calling the selection a historic step for a country whose space activity has so far been limited largely to unmanned telecommunications satellites.
“For the first time in its history, Greece is taking its next big step — not on Earth, but in space,” Mr. Mitsotakis said in a video posted after the meeting, adding the familiar line, “To infinity and beyond.”
Dr. Golemis, a space medicine physician who previously served as a lead flight surgeon for ESA astronaut missions, was chosen from a field of more than 22,000 applicants across Europe.
The government said the breakthrough reflects Greece’s growing investment in the aerospace sector and its ambition to move from supporting space projects to taking part in human spaceflight.
Mr. Mitsotakis joked during the meeting that he has never been to space and does not expect to go, but said Dr. Golemis’ selection carries symbolic weight well beyond the individual achievement.
“This mission carries not only the Greek flag but the vision of a country looking higher than ever before,” Mr. Mitsotakis said, framing the milestone as part of a wider push to build Greece’s presence in advanced technology and space research.
Officials said the move marks a structural shift in the country’s aerospace profile and a rare moment of national pride in a field long dominated by larger European powers.