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A Greek scientist, Dr Adrianos Golemis, has started astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.
His entry into the programme follows a highly competitive ESA selection process that drew more than 22,000 applicants.
The step is being treated in Greece as a landmark moment, with officials linking it to a broader push into space technology and satellite services.
ESA’s reserve astronaut training is due to conclude with a final phase scheduled in the first half of 2026.
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Greece has moved closer to having its first astronaut after Greek scientist and physician Dr Adrianos Golemis began training in the European Space Agency’s astronaut programme at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. The development puts a Greek candidate inside ESA’s human spaceflight pipeline at a time when the agency is widening participation across its member states.
Dr Adrianos Golemis has started training at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, the main hub where ESA prepares astronauts and other international partners’ crew members for space missions. ESA’s astronaut training is built around core skills for living and working in space, including technical systems, safety procedures, and operational routines.
Golemis’ selection comes after an ESA astronaut recruitment process that attracted more than 22,000 applicants. Greece has not previously had an astronaut fly on an ESA mission, and his entry into astronaut training is being described domestically as a breakthrough for the country’s presence in human spaceflight.
## From space medicine to astronaut training
Golemis is known for his work in space medicine. He has worked as a flight surgeon supporting ESA astronauts, a role that involves monitoring health and advising on medical issues before, during, and after missions. Space agencies often draw astronaut candidates from a wide professional base, including medicine, engineering, and science, because modern missions depend on a mix of operational and research skills.
ESA’s European Astronaut Centre, established in 1990, is designed to deliver astronaut training and to support mission operations for European crew members. Training takes place alongside preparations for the International Space Station and for future exploration programmes.
## How ESA’s reserve training works
ESA’s astronaut selection in 2022 created both a career astronaut group and an astronaut reserve. The reserve pool is intended to broaden Europe’s capacity by keeping qualified candidates available for future mission assignments. Reserve members typically remain in their normal professions while completing defined training blocks.
ESA has said the reserve training programme has been running in phases at the European Astronaut Centre. In a recent update on the programme, ESA described a second intensive training block that took place from early September to late October 2025 in Cologne. ESA also said reserve members are scheduled to return in the first half of 2026 for a final training phase.
While entering training is a major step, it does not automatically mean a spaceflight assignment. Mission seats depend on future flight opportunities, partner agreements, and specific crew needs. Still, the training places candidates in a position to be considered when missions are assigned.
## Greece links human spaceflight moment to a wider space push
Greek officials have tied Golemis’ training to a broader national effort to expand Greece’s space activity, including small satellite projects and the use of satellite data for public services. In public comments on the milestone, Greece’s minister for digital governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, has pointed to satellite-based capabilities that support weather forecasting, wildfire and disaster management, and civil protection.
That framing reflects a wider trend across Europe, where governments increasingly connect space programmes to practical services on Earth, such as communications, security, environmental monitoring, and agriculture. ESA itself has also been supporting activity in Greece through programmes focused on satellite missions and operations training.
For Greece, the start of astronaut training by a Greek candidate has symbolic weight as well as potential long-term impact. It can help raise interest in science and engineering careers, and it reinforces a national narrative of building deeper capability in space technology and space-enabled services.
AI Perspective
This milestone shows how human spaceflight is becoming more inclusive across Europe’s smaller and newer space players. Training programmes matter because they build a pipeline of skills and readiness long before any mission is assigned. For countries like Greece, the biggest near-term impact may be on education, talent, and practical satellite services, even as a first flight remains a longer-term goal.
