What is the current position of the Nordic countries?

The Nordic countries introduce a strengthened relationship and research collaboration.

In 2002 Norway spent around three billion Euros in R&D. That is a real growth from 2001at three percent. It was the public grants that increased while the trade and industry had a small decrease.

Comprehensive participating in EU’s research programmes is one of the cornerstones of the Nordic research and development. In spite of different types of connections to the union, the Nordic countries are very active members of the European research community.

Space research has for ages been a profiled research field in Sweden, mainly to investigate visible phenomena connected to the magnetic fields and space plasma.

One of many reasons why people in general accept spending large amounts of money on space research is the fact that the technology brings society a step forward and into use on earth. This is the main priority for most European countries, although they will reach their goals in many different ways.

Our visit at the European Space Operation Centre, Darmstadt.

The Finnish company, Patria Finavicomp Oy, supplies the main structure of the satellite. The company is responsible for the structural design, manufacture, assembly, integration and static testing.

The reason for the name of the Rosetta mission is linked to a concept that dates back some 40 years.

The Finnisch contributions to the ESA’s Rosetta mission are significant. Researchers at the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), the largest individual space research group in Finland, play an important role in several instruments on board, and an industrial company has built the structure of the entire spacecraft.