Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-03-28 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] Gov't spokesman Tzanakopoulos accuses ND of trying to cause destabilisation [02] Relocation figures positive but still missing the targets, Commissioner Avramopoulos says [03] Greek mini satellite ready for launch at Cape Canaveral --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] Gov't spokesman Tzanakopoulos accuses ND of trying to cause destabilisation The Greek authorities are working hard in order to reach a mutually accepted solution as soon as possible, beyond absurd and unrealistic demands, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said during a press briefing. The broad support to the positions expressed by the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Rome consents to a conclusion of the negotiations for the benefit of the working world, Tzanakopoulos said. The government will continue the efforts for the conlcusion of the second programme review in order to correct the damage caused by New Democracy and part of the creditors. As the government is close to an agreement with the institutions, New Democracy (ND) is trying to cause destibalisation and invest in disaster, the government spokesman. "We don't care about the self-destruction of Mitsotakis (Kyriakos, ND leader). What we care about is that Mitsotakis does not destroy the country," he said. [02] Relocation figures positive but still missing the targets, Commissioner Avramopoulos says The figures on the implementation of the refugees relocation programme show a positive trend, but they are missing the targets, EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos on Tuesday said in reply to a question submitted by European Parliament Vice President Dimitris Papadimoulis. "The 9th report reaffirms that the relocations from Greece have been stabilised to 1,000 per month. On February 7, 11,966 persons (8,766 from Greece) were relocated. Although the data show a positive trend, they are still missing the targets set from the Commission in the 8th report," Avramopoulos said. Regarding Greece, he said that the targets set were fully supported by the European Council, but the relocation procedure needs to be accelerated in order to meet the obligations provided for in the Council's decisions. He added that all the necessary measures need to be taken from Greece, the member states and interested parties included in the report. [03] Greek mini satellite ready for launch at Cape Canaveral The Laboratory of Electromagnetic Theory of the Democritus University of Thrace / Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has been selected to join the QB50 European initiative for the launch of a swarm of nano-satellites to investigate the upper atmosphere. The satellites will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in late March 2017, aiming to be launched from the ISS into orbit by April-May, 2017. The Greek satellite GRO1-DUTHS made by the Polytechnic school of the Democritus University of Thrace is in US and is ready to launch from Cape Canaveral (Kennedy Space Center) by NASA. GRO1-DUTHS is a Cubesat-type satellite which was entirely built at the Democritus University by mechanics, post-graduate students, tutors, students with study on satellite systems, said professor of Democritus University Theodoros Sarris to the Athens Macedonian News Agency's radio station "Praktoreio". The Greek satellite is part of a swarm of satellites, a space mission named QB5O. It is a mission that invited universities from all over the world to participate with their own satellite. We won on of those invitations, said the Greek scientist and explained that only 26 institutions (from 50 that tabled their proposals) participate in the mission. "We are ready for the launch," said Sarris explaining that on Tuesday they are expecting to be informed on the final launch date. The mission aims to study the earth's atmosphere, the area called Transition Region which is the transition point where the earth's atmosphere meets with the space atmosphere. The Greek satellite is currently on the Cygnus Cargo Craft platform and atop of an Atlas-V rocket. "We are trying to find how this space area changes during the sun turbulences and explosions. How this area gets warmer and changes its composition. The Greek satellite will measure plasma parameters and electron frequencies and density as well as temperature changes" explained Sarris adding that this effort will be in live broadcast by NASA and also on the website: www.duthsat.gr.