Five Greek satellites have launched from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, marking a milestone in Greece’s National Microsatellite Program.

The deployment includes two operational ICEYE radar satellites providing round-the-clock Earth observation data for civil protection and national security. Three experimental satellites – two PHASMA units and one MICE-1 – will test secure connectivity and Internet of Things applications.

“Greece’s presence in space is now reality,” Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou said about Friday’s launch, adding that it puts the country in a position to “acquire our own data from space for the first time.”

Source: Ekathimerini.com