How Crete became a hub for European space innovation

A radical photograph from the 7th International Quantum Technology Conference of the European Space Agency, hosted astatine the Foundation for Research and Technology (FORTH) successful Iraklio, Crete, earlier successful October. ESA’s extremity is to make amended instrumentality for aboriginal space missions, says Dr Kyriaki Minoglou.

Satellites and space technology whitethorn look acold distant from us, but it is overmuch person than we think and wrong everything we do. The 7th International Quantum Technology Conference of the European Space Agency (ESA), hosted October 7-9 astatine the Foundation for Research and Technology (FORTH) successful Iraklio, Crete, illuminated caller paths for the improvement of space technology. More than 150 league participants from each implicit the world gathered connected the land to sermon topics that are astatine the forefront of innovation successful the tract of quantum technologies. 

The league proceedings opened with greetings from Dr Josef Aschbacher, ESA manager general, Dr Kyriaki Minoglou, caput of the Optics, Robotics and Life Sciences Division astatine ESA, and FORTH President Vassilis Charmandaris.

“Quantum technology has been booming precocious and has galore applications successful space, successful a fig of sectors: successful Earth observation, successful space exploration for caller planets and achromatic holes, successful telecommunications. We are looking for technological upgrade solutions for each assemblage separately, but besides arsenic a whole. Our extremity is to make amended instrumentality than what we had when we sent the space machines retired there: cameras with amended resolution, GPS with greater precision, sensors much delicate to the gravitational fields of the Earth and different planets. All of this will assistance the improvement of research,” Dr Minoglou tells Kathimerini. 

But what does each of this person to bash with our beingness connected satellite Earth? “Especially successful our sector, the improvement of subject and prime of beingness spell together. For example, we are going to marque our communications overmuch much secure. Overall, satellites today are used successful galore aspects of our lives: with their assistance we communicate, travel, pay, publication a taxi, but besides spot sudden changes successful the weather, person warnings astir earthy disasters, show clime change, make information astatine each levels,” she explains. “All of this could not beryllium successful its existent signifier without the improvement of space technology.” 

Dr Minoglou began her studies astatine the Department of Electrical Engineering of the Polytechnic School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, completed her PhD astatine the Demokritos National Center for Scientific Research, continued for a postdoctoral presumption successful Belgium, and ended up astatine ESA with its pioneering technological work. The part that Minoglou presently heads is multifaceted and pivotal for space technology. It includes the improvement of telescopes and cameras, the improvement of suitable robot vehicles, such arsenic those that will spell to the satellite and different planets, but besides studies connected beingness successful space, starting with the beingness of astronauts connected spacecraft and the absorption of each related issues, from nutrition to waste.

Dr Kyriaki Minoglou is caput of the Optics, Robotics and Life Sciences Division astatine ESA.

“ESA is doing a large job. Today, it is simply a pioneer successful Earth reflection satellites, such arsenic Sentinel,” says Minoglou. That is why it is important for Greece to further make its practice with the European Space Agency.

“Our state has important benefits from its information successful ESA. The wealth we springiness arsenic a subscription is returned and, moreover, it is an concern successful the future. Programs are coming to probe centers, universities, companies, etc. Young scientists are uncovering work and starting their careers very creatively and astatine a precocious level. There are already respective contracts with Greek probe groups, but we are lagging down successful industry,” she adds.

“In erstwhile years, three important observatories successful Greece – Helmos, Skinakas connected Crete and Holomondas successful Halkidiki – were upgraded with funds from the Recovery Fund. These observatories became optical, meaning they tin person optical connection via laser and enactment successful corresponding programs,” she says.

For example, successful July, the Aristarchos telescope connected Mount Helmos, together with the observatory successful Kryoneri, Corinth, took portion successful a large NASA and ESA experiment, where optical broadband connection was achieved with a spacecraft astatine a region of 300 cardinal kilometers from Earth.

ESA’s prime to big and signifier the 7th Quantum Technology Conference connected Crete, successful collaboration with FORTH, “is wide designation of the institution’s presumption arsenic a strong partner,” Dr Minoglou says. “Its pioneering probe and world-class facilities are important for the improvement of technologies that tin signifier the aboriginal of our missions.” 

The beingness of the Skinakas Observatory was besides a crushed for choosing Iraklio, arsenic well arsenic the information that connected Crete there are respective young scientists who are already collaborating connected European Space Agency programs.

Within the model of the conference, FORTH and ESA signed a memorandum of intent for cooperation, aiming to strengthen existing associated projects successful the fields of quantum technology, accusation technology, astronomy and astrophysics.