FORTH Leads Greece’s Next Wave of Space Research
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The Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence is establishing a new ground based satellite station at the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) in Crete, a strategic infrastructure that will serve as the operational communication hub for Greece’s micro satellite constellation. The station will provide telemetry, telecommand and data transfer services, strengthening the country’s autonomous capabilities in space operations and enhancing the resilience of national digital infrastructure.
The installation is being carried out under a lease agreement signed between FORTH and the General Secretariat of Telecommunications and Post of the Ministry of Digital Governance and AI, effective November 1, 2025. The project forms part of the “National Micro Satellite Program,” implemented in collaboration with the Hellenic Space Center and the European Space Agency (ESA), with a total budget of €200 million funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Hosting the ground station at FORTH is a deliberate strategic choice. As Greece’s largest research center, FORTH has a long standing scientific presence in fields directly linked to space technologies, including satellite remote sensing, astrophysics, advanced telecommunications, quantum communications and space surveillance. Together with the University of Crete, FORTH also operates the Skinakas Observatory—one of Southeastern Europe’s most significant astrophysics infrastructures—which is currently being expanded to support technologies for space situational awareness and secure ground to space laser communications.
The construction of the ground station is led by the consortium Open Cosmos Aegean, while the Greek company Libre Space Foundation, known for its expertise in space technology development, has completed the installation. Their involvement highlights the growing maturity of Greece’s emerging space tech ecosystem and its ability to support critical national infrastructure.
FORTH’s momentum in space research was further reinforced recently with the award of €35 million in funding under the HORIZON WIDERA 2025 program for the creation of the Crete Center of Excellence in Emerging Space Technologies (CCEST) through the SPACE Crete project. The Center is expected to position Crete as an international hub for space research and innovation, strengthening Greece’s competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global sector.
Professor Panagiotis Tsakalidis, Scientific Coordinator of SPACE Crete and Director of FORTH’s Institute of Computer Science, emphasized the significance of the parallel launch of SPACE Crete and the operation of the new ground station. “We are particularly pleased with the timing,” he noted. “We are confident that we will contribute not only to the smooth operation of the station but, more importantly, to the optimal analysis of the data it will collect. This will enable us to deliver new services that improve the quality of life for citizens in Crete and across Greece.”
