ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — Greece is planning “a first historic mission” to send a Greek astronaut to the International Space Station, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ office announced on Friday.

The mission is part of a new national space strategy through to 2035 and also the European Space Agency’s (ESA) astronaut training program.

Astronomer and ESA flight surgeon Adrianos Golemis will join the maiden Greek mission, lasting up to three weeks and scheduled to take place within the next two years.

Greece has secured 350 million euros in European funding for space projects over the next four years, Mitsotakis said in talks with Golemis under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance and AI.

Golemis is set to carry out experiments and undertake technology demonstrations proposed by dozens of Greek research teams, organizations and universities.

A meeting Thursday which both attended along with digital governance minister, Dimitris Papastergiou, hailed “the considerable benefits that the decision to have Greece represented for the first time on the ISS crew will bring to the national scientific community,” a statement read.

The statement added the project will give Greek firms opportunities to present space-related innovative solutions.