Dr Adrianos Golemis is the first ever Greek to participate in an astronaut training program in the European Space Agency (ESA). A flight surgeon for astronaut missions, Dr Golemis could raise the possibility of a Greek astronaut joining a space mission for the first time.
Greece is marking a significant milestone in space exploration, as a Greek scientist has been selected to participate in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) astronaut training programme, raising the possibility of a Greek astronaut joining a space mission for the first time.
Dr. Adrianos Golemis has begun training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, having emerged from one of the most competitive selection processes in European aerospace. He was chosen from a pool of more than 22,000 applicants, euronews reported.
The country has historically played a limited role in human spaceflight, and Dr. Golemis’s selection represents a genuine shift in that trajectory.
Greece’s digital governance minister, Dimitris Papastergiou, called the development a source of national inspiration, particularly for young scientists.
Flight Surgeon for Astronaut Missions
Dr. Adrianos Golemis studied Medicine at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and attained his Master’s on Space Studies from the International Space University (ISU) in France.
He was selected as the European Space Agency’s (ESA) research doctor at Concordia Station, Antarctica, where for 1 year he helped study the effects of isolation and confinement on the human body and psychology. He then worked on clinical studies for MEDES, the French Institute for Space Medicine & Physiology.
Since 2018, he is seconded by MEDES to the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) where he works as a Flight Surgeon, monitoring the health of European astronauts before, during and after spaceflight.
Since 2022, Adrianos is the first Greek to ever pass all 6 steps of a European astronaut selection (top 0.1% among 22500 applicants).
He has taken part in parabolic flights and simulated missions of the Austrian Space Forum. He holds an amateur pilot, diver, and sailing license, and adores trekking and astrophotography. He is keenly involved with science communication, having presented in 14 scientific conferences and provided 150 public talks, courses or media interviews. Between 2014 and 2019 he also served as a volunteer for the United Nations’ Space Generation Advisory Council, according to SNFNostos.
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