Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-04-18

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Greek microsatellites launched successfully into space aboard Atlas V rocket

[02] Female bear killed in road accident near Kastoria

[01] Greek microsatellites launched successfully into space aboard Atlas V rocket

The microsatellites, along with 26 more similar devices, are on their way to the International Space Station (ISS) where they will be launched one by one into orbit to start their operation.

UPSat is the first microsatellite based on open-source software fully constructed in Greece, at the University of Patras and the Libre Space Foundation, as part of the European QB50 program. The other satellite DUTHSat was constructed at the University of Thrace.

The Cygnus cargo ship will be carrying about 3,463 kilos of food, supplies and science experiments to the station. The flight will deliver investigations that study magnetic cell culturing, crystal growth and atmospheric reentry.

The launch was cancelled numerous times due to technical problems of the rocket.

[02] Female bear killed in road accident near Kastoria

According to the driver of the car, who emerged unharmed from the collision, two preceding vehicle had managed to avoid the animal. Authorities said her death was instant as she suffered comminuted fractures to the skull and pelvis. They said the bear managed to enter the highway and walked alongside the fence until it was hit by the passing car.

Environmental groups Arcturos and Kallisto expressed their dismay for the death of the bear noting that despite the special fences fitted in recent years to protect mammals, 22 bears have been killed in road accidents from 2009 to 2015 in the same part of the road. The NGOs urged Egnatia Odos, which manages the highway, and Kozani traffic police to seal off the open sections of the road.

"Kallisto and Arcturos have pointed out to Egnatia Odos that as long as three junctions along the highway remain open, there will always be a risk of a new accident," the NGO's spokespeople said in a joint statement.

One of the many added measures the contractor could take is to monitor those junctions constantly through cameras or motion detectors and report immediately passing vehicles of any problems through LED traffic signs, they added.

[Photo provided by Arcturos]

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