Strengthening Greece's presence in space

A new Hellas Sat satellite was successfully launched last week, strengthening Greece's presence in space at a time when the country is exploring economic benefits in all sectors after experiencing an acute debt crisis.

"Hellas Sat 4 satellite is the largest satellite for commercial use Lockheed Martin has constructed so far. It has a capability of 20 KW and weighs about 6.5 tons. It uses very innovative systems," Thomas Kalamaris, technical director of satellite operator Hellas Sat, told Xinhua.

Hellas Sat is a satellite communications solutions provider founded in 2001, when Hellas Sat 2 was launched into space.

The company was acquired in 2013, during the crisis, by Saudi Arabia's Arabsat, the sixth largest satellite operator in the world.

Last Tuesday Hellas Sat 4 satellite was launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, to...