Growing ambitions: Inside Cyprus’s space programme

Local spacetechnologyTop News Growing ambitions: Inside Cyprus’s space programme Dsc01265 Relevant News Growing ambitions: Inside Cyprus’s space programme 13 August 2026 Thousands flock to Troodos mountains as Perseids light up skies (photos) 13 August 2026 Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil 13 August 2026 Daniel Zambartas 13 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The idea of Cyprus becoming involved in space was once believed to be an untouchable dream. Fourteen years later, Cyprus is preparing its own small satellite and the country has become embedded in major international space networks. En.philenews was offered the opportunity to visit the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) in Nicosia and speak to its president, George Danos, to find out how Cyprus’s space sector has developed over the past 14 years, what work is now being carried out on the island and where the organisation hopes to go next. From childhood fascination to Cyprus’s space ambitions Danos’s interest in space goes all the way back to childhood. His parents bought him his first telescope when he was around six or seven, and even before he could properly read, he would look at the pictures in space encyclopaedias. At school, he formed a space society, while during his army service he invited officers to his home to observe the planets through his telescope. He later studied at Imperial College London, where he became involved in student organisations focused on space exploration, eventually becoming president and later serving on the board of the wider UK student body. After university, Danos worked in Britain and became involved with Richard Branson’s Virgin group. But after around 15 years abroad, he felt it was time to return to Cyprus. “There was a compelling drive,” he recalls. “I simply knew I was ready to return and write the next chapter of my life here in Cyprus.,” “So, when I returned home, because I had always been involved in space, I was looking to see what I could do that would be relevant and would serve the country. We founded the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation in 2012. At the time, space activities in Cyprus were still in their infancy, so we did a lot of work to help develop and elevate the sector.” As Danos showed me around the centre, his passion for space was clear. Despite all the technical knowledge and experience he has gained over the years, you could still see something of the child who once spent hours looking at pictures in space encyclopaedias. Once mocked, now taken seriously “We worked closely with the government, the European Space Agency and the international space industry, while also working to build the domestic sector,” Danos explained. “The organisation’s first goal was to see Cyprus become a member of the European Space Agency, and I’m delighted to say that goal was achieved.” Cyprus became an ESA cooperating state in 2016 and has since progressed to associate membership. But not everyone believed a country like Cyprus could reach this point. The island’s space ambitions were initially mocked, both abroad and at home. Cyprus is now a member of the European Space Agency Danos recalled Cypriot satirical television programmes poking fun at the prospect of Cypriots going into space, with jokes about sheftalia and souvlakia making their way into orbit. Rather than taking offence, he embraced the humour. “Jokes are what we’ve learned to communicate with sometimes,” he said, arguing that even the ridicule helped spread the message that “Cyprus is doing something in space”. Today, the picture is very different, and the people who laughed are now the ones who look silly. CSEO has developed links with major international organisations and companies including NASA, ESA and Lockheed Martin, as well as space agencies and researchers in countries including the United States, Japan, France, Italy, Israel and the UK. In 2018, NASA’s then chief scientist James Green travelled to Cyprus to mentor teams taking part in space innovation competitions, while Danos said NASA representatives and other prominent figures from the international space community have increasingly visited the island. Danos also highlighted CSEO’s involvement in international discussions on sustainable lunar exploration, saying: “We brought together all the countries that are relevant to returning to the Moon. You had the US, Russia, China and India. As we all know, these nations don’t have the very best relationships between them, so to bring them all together to agree on the principles by which we will go back to the Moon was particularly important.” The discussions took place at United Nations level, with CSEO playing a leading role in the effort. He is careful, however, not to overstate Cyprus’s position. “We cannot compare the research that we are doing with the research that, for example, Japan or UK or France does. It’s incomparable,” he said. But CSEO, he argues, has succeeded in connecting Cyprus to that international ecosystem. What CSEO actually does For Danos, building a space sector means much more than putting objects into orbit. He describes CSEO’s work as resting on four pillars: education, innovation and start-ups, research and development, and international cooperation. “Clearly, we start from education. If you don’t educate people, how are you going to go to the next steps?” he said. The aim is also to give people in Cyprus opportunities in highly specialised fields which previously might have required them to leave the island. George Danos with the CSEO’s thermal-vacuum chamber “At CSEO we do space research, space engineering and building satellites. We work on the international terrain, working with international organisations. We build satellites and we conduct cutting-edge research on space health and space weather,” Danos said. At CSEO’s Nicosia facilities, that work is tangible. The centre, considered a leading European Tier-3 space infrastructure, has equipment for manufacturing and testing satellites and space components, including 3D-printing technology, a large thermal-vacuum chamber, vibration-testing equipment, and an ISO-7 clean room, alongside mission-control and communications facilities. CSEO is also involved in research into how space conditions affect the human body. Danos pointed to work involving the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics examining genes affected by microgravity and other space conditions, with potential implications and benefits for both astronauts and people on Earth. Space weather is another major focus. Solar activity can affect satellites, telecommunications, electricity networks and astronaut health, and CSEO is using modelling and artificial intelligence to study and predict those effects. CSEO places a strong emphasis on studying solar activity and its effects on Earth A satellite first – and one day a Cypriot in space? The next major step is already taking shape: CSEO’s first cube satellite is nearing completion. Danos said the organisation is in advanced discussions with launch providers for placing the satellite in orbit. Once in orbit, the satellite will carry a camera designed to demonstrate the capability to detect wildfires, an application with obvious relevance to Cyprus and the wider region. But Danos stressed that one satellite cannot provide a complete wildfire detecting & monitoring service. “You cannot track fires with just one satellite. You need to have a fleet of satellites. So, if we have one, we indicate the capability. If we have many, then we turn it into a service.” The satellite will also carry payloads related to space health and space weather. Beyond the first mission, Danos in his capacity as co-chair for innovation of the international organisation for space research – COSPAR, wants to see an international constellation of satellites equipped with different sensors to study the Sun’s effects on Earth and climate change. “We recognise that we need to send multiple satellites with multiple sensors to study the effects of the Sun on our planet,” he said. And then there is perhaps the most obvious question of all: could a Cypriot one day go into space? For Danos, it is an ambition, but one that should only be pursued when there is a genuine scientific and economic justification. “The goal of having a Cypriot into space is important,” he said, stressing that such a step would require cooperation between government, industry, academia and non-governmental organisations and preparing the country for the needs of the upcoming decades. “But you don’t do it just because it’s fancy and amazing. There must be a reason.” For now, the priority is to continue building the research, expertise, industry and international relationships that could eventually make such an ambition worthwhile. “Our country has made great strides in space and the future ahead looks great, giving opportunities for bright Cypriots living abroad to return home, as well as cooperating at the highest level with the world’s leaders in space” Danos said. Read more: Cyprus reaches for the stars as space technology conference lands in Paphos Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Thousands flock to Troodos mountains as Perseids light up skies (photos) Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil Gaza cancer patients face rising death rate amid Israeli curbs, doctors say Iran to join BRICS development bank soon, central bank governor says Taxi smugglers caught trying to dodge SBA customs checks Dozens turn down Public Service jobs despite passing exams On this day: A Japan Air Lines Boeing crashed into Mount Osutaka, killing 520 people in 1985 Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.