Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis shakes hands with astronaut Adrianos Golemis as French President Emmanuel Macron at the inaugural International Space Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. [Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister’s Press Office/ANA-MPA]
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis introduced Adrianos Golemis, who is set to become Greece’s first astronaut, at the International Space Summit in Paris on Wednesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron invited Mitsotakis to make the introduction before some 2,000 participants from about 90 countries.
The Greek prime minister called it a significant moment for the country, noting that Greece had virtually no presence in the space sector just a few years ago but now has 18 microsatellites in orbit and is developing a domestic satellite manufacturing industry.
Golemis is a physician and head doctor of the astronauts’ medical team at the European Space Agency. He has studied the effects of long-duration space missions on the human body and earlier this year became the first Greek selected for ESA astronaut training. His initial training included preparation for life and scientific research aboard the International Space Station.
