The Greek-built ERMIS-3 nanosatellite is transmitting data by laser to a ground station in northern Greece at 1 gigabit per second, demonstrating a new communications capability for the country’s university space missions.
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens described the successful experiments in an announcement published Oct. 22. Its aerospace department developed the satellite, while researchers at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki built the optical ground station on Mount Holomontas.
The link uses equipment supplied by Lithuanian company Astrolight. In an Oct. 8 announcement, the company said the system had begun making two scheduled connections daily, placing the start of regular operations earlier this month.
What the Greek satellite’s laser link achieved
An optical connection carries information using light. ERMIS-3’s ATLAS-1 terminal sends its signal to a telescope on the ground, which must keep tracking the spacecraft as it crosses the sky.
According to Astrolight, the satellite and ground equipment were operating automatically by their third active pass. Its team controlled the systems remotely from Lithuania.
After calibration, Astrolight put link availability above 85% during passes with the satellite more than 15 degrees above the horizon.
The demonstrated transmission rate is 1 Gbps. The researchers say their calculations indicate room to reach 10 Gbps, a potential increase that has not been reported as an achieved result.
The ground equipment also supports Aristotle University’s separate PeakSat project, designed to test laser communications between a small satellite and stations in Greece.
From launch to communications tests
ERMIS-3 was one of three Greek nanosatellites launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on March 30. The ERMIS mission tests several technologies, including satellite communications and Earth observation.
Greece has also hosted a different kind of laser experiment. In July 2025, equipment at Kryoneri and Helmos observatories established a deep-space optical link with NASA’s Psyche spacecraft. That mission involved a distant spacecraft, whereas the latest ERMIS tests concern a satellite in low Earth orbit.
The ERMIS program forms part of Greece’s National Microsatellite Program, with funding from the EU recovery fund and the Ministry of Digital Governance, and support from the European Space Agency and the Hellenic Space Center.
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