European Space Agency (ESA)

The European Space Agency (ESA), founded in 1975, is an international organisation with its headquarters located in Paris. ESA’s 17 Member States are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Finland became a Cooperating Member in 1987 and a Member State in 1995. The key areas for Finnish participation in ESA programmes are space science, remote sensing, telecommunications and technology development.

All Member States contribute to the funding of certain ESA activities, such as science programmes. The funding shares are calculated according to the GDP of each Member State. In addition, each individual Member State decides which additional programme it will take part in and with what share.

ESA offers technology cooperation to companies and research units. Finnish participation in ESA’s research and science programmes is coordinated by Tekes.

The Academy of Finland finances space projects through its normal competitive funding. The Academy’s representative attends the ESA’s Science Programme Committee in the capacity of expert member. In recent years, the Academy’s Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering has provided funding, for example, to scientific projects related to ESA’s Mars Express, Venus Express and Planck projects.