The largest space hub in Southeast Europe is in Corinthia

The Kryoneri Observatory, in Corinthia, is being upgraded and transformed into the largest space hub in Southeast Europe, as the Ministry of Development and Investments is financing it with 10.8 million euros from the Recovery Fund for the purchase of new radars, lasers, a new state-of-the-art robotic telescope and other necessary equipment.

At the same time, the Region of Peloponnese is financing the Kryoneri Observatory with 4.3 million euros for building infrastructure such as an amphitheater, an exhibition space, offices, etc. with the total investment exceeding 15 million euros.

As pointed out, this is not only the largest investment in terms of its infrastructure, but also the largest investment in scientific research in the Peloponnese.

The competent Deputy Minister of Development and Investments and Member of Parliament for Corinth, Christos Dimas, attended today the signing ceremony of the Agreement between the National Observatory of Athens and the Region of Peloponnese for the implementation of the project: “construction of a multi-purpose building at the site of the Kryoneri Observatory and shaping of the surrounding area”

Ehe Ministry of Development and Investments, the Ministry of Digital Governance, the Peloponnese Region and the Athens Observatory are joining forces with the common goal of upgrading the infrastructure and making even greater use of the scientific potential.

Schedule

According to the schedule, the space hub is expected to be fully functional and operational by 2026.

There will also be a transfer of critical infrastructure equipment from Penteli to Krioneri and the purchase of basic software for the EU-SST program, while optical fibers will also be installed.

The telescope at the Kryoneri Observatory has a diameter of 1.2 meters and its research infrastructure is important for both national and international research programs, as it is already used by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Today, important research programs are carried out in the research infrastructures of the Kryoneri Observatory, spearheaded by the systematic observations of flares caused by impacts of meteoroids and impacting objects on the lunar surface.

Through the installed special observation instrument, these observations provide useful information on the masses and dimensions of the impacting objects, the temperatures during impacts, but also the frequency with which such events occur. Also, observing the orbit of spacecraft, potentially dangerous bodies such as meteorites, safety for astronauts and satellites, and even planetary security are among the research and operational programs implemented by the Observatory’s scientific staff.

The upgraded Kryoneri Observatory will be an open visitor center for schoolchildren, students and visitors, where scientific research will be disseminated.