International Organizations
ESA
The European Space Agency, ESA, offers technological cooperation to enterprises and research units. ESA's objective is to support and coordinate European space research and develop the competitiveness of enterprises. ESA participates in developing space applications and carries out large space projects that would be beyond the possibilities of a single European country. The industry and research institutes can take part in programs that the member countries have joined. ESA's initiatives are based on industry feedback.
ESA celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2005. The organization has had a significant role in bringing European space research and technology to the forefront of the sector globally. Today, the European space industry employs 32,000 people directly and 250,000 indirectly.
Finland has been a full member of ESA since 1995. The focus areas of Finnish space activities are defined by the national space strategy. Finland is involved in the activities of ESA in areas that are the most worthwhile to Finland, i.e. areas that have the greatest impact on the well-being of the society and industry. These areas are, for example, telecommunication and navigation programs, remote sensing, and space science, as well as the space technologies supporting them. Space carriers and manned space flights are not Finland's strategic goals. It is in Finland's interest to bring the expertise gained through space research into terrestrial everyday applications.
Finnish Funding Agency of Technology coordinates the Finnish participation in ESA's programs and wishes to encourage various operators to take part in interesting technological space initiatives. In Finland, space activities involve roughly 30 enterprises and 20 research units at the moment. Finland has been very active in ESA's initiatives. Finnish scientists have, for example, utilized satellite-transmitted data in various disciplines. Cutting-edge science in astrophysics and ozone and aerosol research is carried out in Finland. Finland also has a great deal of expertise in environmental applications. Finland's other strengths include light carbon fiber structures, spacecraft electronics and software, and x-ray and microwave technology.
ESO
ESO (European Southern Observatory) is an international organization operating in the field of terrestrial astronomy. It was founded in 1962. The organization has 11 member countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The organization employs 600 people, mostly scientists. International cooperation allows the member countries to maintain astronomic research in a scope that would be impossible with the resources of a single country alone. ESO's terrestrial astronomic research complements the spatial research conducted through satellites.
Finland joined ESO in July 2004 and is involved, for example, in two of ESO's most important projects. VLT (Very large telescope) is a congregate formed by four large eight-meter telescopes. It is considered the flagship of global optical astronomy. The Alma radio telescope array under construction is composed of several dozen radio telescopes. Finnish ESO cooperation is coordinated by the Academy of Finland.
ESO's observation plants are situated in Chile and its headquarters are in Germany.
EUMETSAT
The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) produces real-time meteorological satellite images and offers its member countries the chance to take part in the application programs for data collected by satellites. The organization is headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany. This site can also receive and analyze measuring data from satellites and direct their functions. EUMETSAT's satellites have been developed by ESA.
EUMETSAT was founded in 1986. There are 18 member countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The operations of EUMETSAT are financed and mainly utilized by its member countries. Finland is represented in EUMETSAT by the Meteorological Institute, a research unit under the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
The Meteorological Institute also directs EUMETSAT's ozone monitoring program and is involved in the implementation of its climate monitoring program. The project develops tools that can be used to process raw data produced by meteorological satellites into data needed by researchers. The main aim of the project is to promote research into the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere.
At the moment, EUMETSAT is operating the following satellites:
- Meteosat (first satellite, launched in 1977)
- METOP
- MSG
- Jason 2
- MTG (forthcoming)
