Greece is acquiring new optical Earth observation capabilities as the “Hyperion GR-1” microsatellite was successfully launched today, Tuesday, July 7, and has now entered orbit around Earth as part of the “National Microsatellite Programme.”

The launch marks another important step in strengthening the country’s space capabilities, with direct applications in Civil Protection, security, environmental monitoring and public administration.

The Hyperion GR-1 is the first of a total of seven optical microsatellites being built by the Greek company Open Cosmos Aegean, based in Pallini, Attica.

Through its deployment, Greece gains significant capabilities in Earth observation, mapping and systematic monitoring, with applications including maritime surveillance, protection of critical infrastructure, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, natural disaster monitoring and the strengthening of Civil Protection operations.

Its data will be integrated into the Government Geospatial Observation Hub, creating a unified operational information environment for public administration.

The optical microsatellite is capable of capturing high-resolution multispectral images of up to 90 centimetres, providing accurate and reliable data for monitoring both the natural and built environment.

At the same time, it incorporates advanced data-processing capabilities using Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as inter-satellite links, enabling the collection, processing and rapid transmission of critical information from space to Earth.

The satellite’s data will be used, among other things, for:

• preventing and managing natural disasters,
• monitoring wildfires and floods,
• rapidly assessing damage following extreme weather events,
• protecting forests, water resources and the natural environment,
• precision agriculture and aquaculture,
• maritime surveillance,
• ship monitoring and detection of marine pollution,
• urban planning,
• monitoring major infrastructure projects and critical facilities.

The Hyperion GR-1 was launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States, aboard a SpaceX rocket.

The same mission also carried the Posedònia satellite, which was built by Open Cosmos at its facilities in Spain.

With today’s launch, Greece now has 18 microsatellites in orbit, as part of the strategy of the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence to strengthen the country’s space capabilities.

The National Microsatellite Programme is funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility “Greece 2.0” and implemented through the General Secretariat of Telecommunications and Posts, with the support of the Hellenic Space Center (ELKED) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The development of the Hyperion GR-1 represents an important milestone for Greece’s space industry, as its construction involved the active participation of Greek companies and engineers, strengthening domestic expertise and creating new prospects for the development and export of Greek space technologies.

Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou said:

“The launch of Hyperion GR-1 marks a new era for our country. We are acquiring another powerful tool that will allow us to use satellite data for the benefit of citizens: to protect our forests and marine areas, support precision agriculture, map both regulated and unregulated construction, and make faster decisions during periods of crisis.

Today’s launch is part of a broader national strategy, as just a few days ago we presented the new HELLAS-SPACE 2.0 programme, worth €350 million, which serves as the continuation of the National Microsatellite Programme.

Our goal is for technology to make the state more effective, the country more resilient, and citizens’ daily lives better.”