Organisation and Context
The Hellenic Space Center (HSC) invites the public to submit name proposals for the future space mission of Adrianos Golemis, involving Greek research aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission of Adrianos Golemis, who will participate aboard the ISS as a Mission Specialist, forms part of the broader VAST-PAM-1 mission, which will include astronauts from other countries. Adrianos Golemis will participate as a Project Astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA), representing Greece for the first time.
The purpose of this initiative, organised by the Hellenic Space Center, is to engage the general public in an endeavour of national and European significance that delivers benefits for our planet, and in particular to foster young people’s interest in space and science.
Participation is free of charge. Any internet connection costs or other expenses incurred by participants will not be reimbursed.
There are no restrictions on participation other than the following:
- Proposals may be submitted individually or by a group (e.g. an organisation or a school class). Each individual or group may submit a maximum of two proposals. Any additional proposals submitted by the same individual or group will be rejected.
- Minors under the age of 18 must have signed parental/legal guardian consent. All group submissions involving minors must be made through a responsible adult (parent/legal guardian, teacher, etc.).
- A valid email address is required for communication.
- Proposals must be submitted exclusively through the Hellenic Space Center website. Submissions made by email to the relevant authorities, through social media posts, or by any other means will be rejected. In the event of technical difficulties, reasonable efforts will be made to address them; however, the inclusion of every proposal affected by such difficulties cannot be guaranteed.
The Hellenic Space Center reserves the right to change, modify, shorten, extend, or cancel the proposal submission process if circumstances so require.
Submission Process
Participants are invited to submit the following through the Hellenic Space Center website:
1. A name for the mission
The proposed mission name must:
- consist of one word or a short combination of words;
- be easy to remember and pronounce;
- be understandable and appealing to the general public, particularly young people, in both Greek and English;
- avoid proper names, except for widely known and accepted historical or mythological references;
- reflect the spirit and objectives of this specific mission;
- not have been previously used for another astronaut mission, particularly a European mission.
2. A short explanatory text
Participants must provide a brief explanation of why they propose the particular name and how it relates to the mission.
An example of the rationale provided for the naming of a previous ESA mission can be found here.
Submissions may be made in either Greek or English.
3. Participant details
Participants must provide their details, including:
- full name or the name of the submitting group; and
- relevant contact information.
Providing false information or engaging in any fraudulent or deliberately misleading activity will result in the immediate disqualification of the proposed name.
Submission Period
Proposals may be submitted during the following period:
- Opening: 19 October 2026, 12:00 (Athens time)
- Closing: 30 October 2026, 23:59 (Athens time)
The final mission name will be selected by the Hellenic Space Center and the Greek astronaut.
The selected name may be adjusted or modified as necessary to ensure compatibility with the European Space Agency (ESA), the mission provider VAST, and NASA.
Intellectual Property Rights
By submitting a proposal, participants:
- grant, free of charge, irrevocably and in perpetuity, a non-exclusive licence to use the proposed name to the Hellenic Space Center, the Ministry of Digital Governance and, more broadly, the Hellenic Republic and any collaborating organisations or entities (including ESA, VAST, NASA, etc.). This includes the waiver or transfer, as applicable, of any potential financial rights associated with the proposed name, on a worldwide basis;
- expressly declare that their proposal does not infringe any third-party rights;
- accept responsibility for any infringement of intellectual property rights arising from their submission.
Communication and Personal Data
The Hellenic Space Center processes personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The information collected may include:
- first and last name;
- email address;
- telephone number;
- details of the responsible adult in the case of submissions involving minors.
The data:
- will be used exclusively for the administration of the proposal submission and selection process;
- will not be disclosed to anyone other than those persons whose involvement is necessary for the administration of the process.
Participants retain all rights provided for under the GDPR.
If a participant’s proposal is selected for the naming of the mission, the participant authorises the Hellenic Space Center to:
- use their full name for communication, publicity, and science outreach purposes;
- publish their submitted proposal together with the accompanying explanatory text.
The full Terms and Conditions are available exclusively through this Hellenic Space Center webpage. Any amendments to the above Terms and Conditions will be published on the Hellenic Space Center website and will take effect immediately.
