CUBESAT DEMONSTRATION MISSION "ERMIS"
Group photo of members of the scientific team developing the ERMIS nanosatellites: Konstantinos Konstantinidis (OQ Technology), Sotirios Katsimpas (OQ Technology), Konstantinos Bouzoukis (University of Patras), Spyros Zervakos (NKUA), Panagiotis Tsitsas (AST, NKUA), Antonios Paschalis (Professor, DIT, NKUA), Spyros Makris (NKUA), Vaios Lappas (Professor, Chair of AST, NKUA), Zoe Genakou (OQ Technology), Georgios Tzanoulinos (NKUA)
The ERMIS Space Programme of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens: Within the framework of the ERMIS programme, a constellation of three technologically advanced nanosatellites (CubeSats) will be developed in Greece, with emphasis on 5G/IoT telecommunications, inter-satellite links, and hyperspectral remote sensing. The programme will, for the first time, validate new technologies developed in Greece, including IoT/5G communications, inter-satellite connectivity, onboard image data processing using hardware accelerators for hyperspectral image compression algorithms, autonomous control algorithms for satellite observation and precise attitude and orbit control, optical laser communications and connectivity with the optical ground station at Helmos, as well as hyperspectral remote sensing with a spatial resolution of 5 meters for space applications of national interest, such as precision agriculture.
The ERMIS programme constitutes the first phase of the National Microsatellites Programme, with a total budget of €200 million, funded by the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF – EU NextGenerationEU). The project, with a budget of approximately €4.9 million, is coordinated by the newly established Department of Aerospace Science and Technology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (www.aerospace.uoa.gr), in collaboration with the Departments of Informatics and Telecommunications and Physics. Participating partners include 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.
Professor Antonis Paschalis (Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, NKUA) and the Chair of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, Vaios Lappas, during optical certification testing
More information about the research programme / space mission ERMIS: https://www.kathimerini.gr/society/563967040/apo-ta-psachna-eyvoias-sto-diastima/
The three nanosatellites of the ERMIS programme were launched earlier on Monday, 30 March, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as part of a mission that was broadcast live.