A student aerospace team from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki has successfully tested Greece’s first publicly documented liquid-propellant rocket engine, marking a major milestone for the country’s emerging aerospace sector.
ASAT, the Aristotle Space and Aeronautics Team, designed and developed the engine entirely in-house. The team operates within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the university’s Polytechnic School and is considered the largest student aerospace team in Greece.
A major Step for Greek aerospace engineering
The static test campaign began in April 2026 and took place at a closed, controlled testing site in northern Greece. During the most demanding phase, the team carried out a series of consecutive ignition and combustion cycles to assess the engine’s performance under real operating conditions.
Throughout the procedure, the rocket engine remained fixed to the ground while ASAT members collected key engineering data. The team monitored pressure and temperature, recorded the engine’s generated thrust, and controlled the flow of propellants with precision.
As a result, the successful completion of the campaign confirmed both the technical integrity and the potential of a project considered unprecedented for Greece.
Greece’s ASAT student team powers rocket engine with liquid oxygen and ethanol
The engine uses liquid oxygen, known as LOX, and ethanol as propellants. According to the technical specifications released by ASAT, it produces 5,500 newtons of thrust and operates with a combustion chamber pressure of 40 bar.
In addition, its feed system relies on an advanced pressure-fed network, with operating pressures reaching up to 300 bar. ASAT designed and built the entire engine from scratch.
The main technical characteristics are:
- Propellants: Liquid Oxygen, LOX, and Ethanol
- Generated thrust: 5,500 N
- Combustion chamber pressure: 40 bar, or 4,000,000 pascals
- Feed system: Advanced pressure-fed network with operating pressures up to 300 bar, or 30,000,000 pascals
- Development: 100 percent in-house design and implementation from scratch
In-House platform managed real-time data
The Main Operations Platform, or MOP, played a central role in the testing process. The system’s main computer collected, processed, and managed data in real time throughout the test campaign.
ASAT developed MOP as a 100 percent in-house, high-performance electronics board. The platform uses an advanced Xilinx FPGA SoC architecture, allowing the team to handle demanding test conditions and monitor the engine’s behavior with accuracy.
At the same time, the platform highlights the broader technical scope of the project, which extended beyond propulsion and included electronics, control systems, data handling, and operational safety.
Sponsors and University funding supported the project
The project required significant resources, specialized components, and controlled testing infrastructure. Company sponsorships covered around 70 percent of the funding, while the Special Account for Research Funds of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki provided additional support.
Together, private-sector backing, university support, and student-led engineering helped the team complete the tests safely and successfully.
ASAT student team in Greece prepares for next flight after rocket engine test
Following the successful static tests and the safe operation of the system, ASAT is now preparing for its next major milestone: the first flight of a new, more powerful rocket.
The planned rocket is expected to reach an apogee of more than 5 kilometers and a speed of Mach 1.5.
Greece’s First Liquid-Propellant Rocket Engine Successfully Fired by Aristotle University Students 2026 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-06-19 00:31:14 Latest news, world news, country news, most important news, latest news, most important, latest of the day, Justice, Petar Nizamov, Feathers, Petar Nizamov- Feathers, Justice bg, iustitia.bg, iustitia, iusticia, usticia, investigation, Burgas, Bulgaria, news, breaking news, news of the day, news of today, news from today, Bulgaria news, The news from Bulgaria, blitz news, top news, most important, most commented, latest news, Boyko Borisov, news, weather, coronavirus, news, news, weather, facebook, youtube, facebook, instagram, today’s news, last minute news, news today, today’s news, news, bg news, leading news, hot news, bg news, news site, all news, news bg, last hour news, latest, latest news bg, news from today, news today, last hour news, latest news, today, news bg, news, news vesti, 24 hours news, vesti bg novini, world news, bird bg, bivol bg, bivol, trud bg novini, latest news today, novinite bg news, hello bulgaria, political party coat of arms, delyan peevski, scandalous, bulgarian national television, free europe, television, scandal, exclusive, live, live tv right now, tv, tv online, tv program, bg, live now, tv news, online, live tv online, court, burgas court, burgas district court, burgas court, burgas district court, burgas district court, burgas district court, burgas court of appeal, burgas prosecutor, burgas prosecutor’s office, burgas district prosecutor’s office, burgas district prosecutor’s office, chief prosecutor, ivan geshev, prosecutor geshev, tsatsarov, mvr burgas, odmvr burgas, odp burgas, police burgas, district police burgas, prosecutor tsatsarov, sgs cases, court varna, chairman of the Supreme Court of Justice, court decisions in civil cases, decisions in cases, Plovdiv court, court decision, case decisions, Varna court, criminal, cases, district, district court decisions, work in court, Supreme Court of Justice chairman, Supreme Court judges, Sofia court, deputy judges, Plovdiv, Plovdiv court, judges Plovdiv, Supreme Court, Inspectorate of the Supreme Court of Justice, Supreme Judicial Council, Supreme Court, Supreme Judicial Council, lawyer, lawyer criminal cases, lawyer civil cases, lawyer matrimonial cases, lawyer administrative, criminal law, criminal process, civil law, civil process, administrative law, constitutional law,
