The Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing (ISARS) is one of the five research Institutes of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). ISARS was founded in 1955, under the name Ionospheric Institute. In 1990, the Institute was renamed to Institute of Ionospheric and Space Research and in 1999 took its current title in order to reflect its expanded activities, which cover a variety of aspects of space research and applications. The location of the Institute until July 1995 was the historic site of the Hill of Nymphs near Acropolis and Thission. The significant increase of staff members and R&D projects made it necessary for the Institute to move to new modern facilities at the NOA campus north of Athens, on mount Pendeli.