Greece Selects First Astronaut for 2027 Vast Mission to ISS
Greece’s first astronaut is set to be Adrianos Golemis, an ESA flight surgeon, on a 2027 Vast mission to the International Space Station (ISS), subject to approval. SpaceX will provide the ride.
The Details:
- Mission: Vast-PAM-1, a private astronaut mission to the ISS, part of the sixth such mission in partnership with NASA.
- Transport: Dragon spacecraft launched on a Falcon 9 rocket.
- Crew: Golemis will serve as mission specialist alongside Thomas Pesquet (commander) and Aleš Svoboda (pilot), with a final crew member to be announced soon.
- Training: Golemis will undergo training modules in Europe and the US, beginning with a visit to the US in September.
Background:
Golemis, a medical doctor and Master of Space Sciences, has experience in isolation studies in Antarctica and has been an ESA flight surgeon since 2018. He applied to ESA’s astronaut selection in 2022.
Greater Ambitions:
The announcement comes at a time when European space autonomy is a key topic. Josef Aschbacher, ESA director general, called for a decision by the end of the year on whether Europe should launch astronauts independently of the U.S., stating, "We will always work with the U.S. in space… what we certainly want to achieve now is a stronger Europe."