Prisma Electronics, a Thessaloniki-based technology company, reports that its self-designed and manufactured nanosatellite, MICE-1, has exceeded expectations five months after launch, according to its chief executive, Christos Giordamlis, speaking to Voria.gr.
Giordamlis described the satellite as functioning like "an unmanned spacecraft", allowing the company to test technologies "with safety and full control", comparing it to an orbital research and development unit. He said the project is helping the company strengthen its products and prepare for future applications that had previously seemed unattainable.
According to the company, MICE-1 has enabled testing of multiple planned operations and supported the development of autonomous functionality capable of operating in space. Giordamlis stated that the satellite was designed to be a self-sufficient system able to withstand the physical conditions in orbit, with all systems developed, tested and regulated by Greek engineers. Around 45 employees have been involved directly or indirectly in the project.
The company's ambitions extend beyond the satellite's initial six-month operational requirement. Giordamlis said that processing primary AIS (Automatic Identification System) signals into usable data, one of MICE-1's core missions, is preparing Prisma Electronics for anticipated developments in the maritime sector from 2030 onwards. He added that this could position the company within an emerging global ecosystem, particularly relevant for Greece as a major maritime nation.
"The satellite provides a significant boost to the software and electronic systems we have developed," Giordamlis said. The satellite's main functions include collecting ship data worldwide, advancing autonomous operation and predictive maintenance technologies within Prisma's LAROS platform, enabling encrypted data transmission, and facilitating rapid exchange of IoT data between the satellite and infrastructure, such as vessels. It also tests an artificial intelligence engine developed by the company to process data onboard and return actionable information, as well as to handle telemetry data.
MICE-1 was launched on 28 November 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-15 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The project was implemented under the supervision of the European Space Agency and forms part of Greece's national CubeSat programme under the "Greece 2.0" initiative.
by Maria Mathiopoulou - adapted from Greek by Vassia Barba
