DUTHSat-2, inaugural satellite in ESA-supported Greek Satellite Connectivity programme, proceeds through early operations phase

24 Mar 2026

The DUTHsat-2 mission, the first of seven missions implemented by the European Space Agency (ESA) on behalf of the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance for Greek National Small Satellite Programme is progressing through its Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) in low Earth orbit. The satellite was originally launched as part of the Transporter-14 mission on Monday 23 June 2025 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.

DUTHSat-2 is a 6U CubeSat that will perform In Orbit validations of essential telemetry and housekeeping units as well as demonstrations for its payload, a camera designed to take pictures over the land and sea in the visible and near infrared spectrum. This mission is led by the Democritus University of Thrace, with support of the Athena Research Centre and companies Space Asics and Prisma Electronics SA.

Since its launch in mid-2025, DUTHSat-2 has been undergoing progressive activation and monitoring of onboard systems and deployable elements – a process referred to as LEOP. This phase of the mission allows teams to monitor the spacecraft’s health while configuring it for standard operations. The next milestone for the mission will be its commissioning, which will mark the start of its core in-orbit demonstration and validation missions.

DUTHSat-2 was the inaugural launch for the Greek Connectivity Programme, followed up by the MICE-1 and PHASMA missions in late 2025. The remaining four missions in the programme are expected to launch no earlier than March 2026 and will conduct a test campaign for spaceborne optical laser terminals. The Greek National Small Satellite Programme is implemented by the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance, supported by the General Secretariat of Telecommunications and Posts, and overseen by the Hellenic Space Center, with ESA’s support. This initiative is part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan ‘Greece 2.0’, which is funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), core programme of the European Union’s NextGenerationEU. The programme aims to build national expertise in space technologies while enabling demonstrations in areas such as Earth observation and secure connectivity.