The heart of the European Space Agency's probe to Mars is Finnish. Other Finnish technology is also hitching a ride on the Mars Express. Finland's presence in the project is an indication of the long-term work in the field and extensive know-how in high technology.

They say that every company that is accepted for a Space project can congratulate itself on coming through extremely tight screening. Finns gained access to the Mars Express probe on the basis of references created in earlier projects.

Finland can be called the most experienced small country in this field because of its involvement in various Mars ventures since 1985. Finnish special know-how at the probe level covers structures, data systems and electricity supply systems. More than ten computer units, which have all worked faultlessly, have been constructed for Space in Finland.

Heart transfers energy

Patria, which specializes in defence, aeronautics and space technology, has developed down the years from a private supplier of power-delivery projects for instruments into a producer of extremely demanding equipment units for satellites.

For the Mars Express Patria has produced the power distribution unit (PDU), also known as the heart of the probe, which has a crucial effect on the whole probe's ability to deliver. The unit ensures that there is energy when and where it is required. The PDU transfers electrical power coming from the sun panel to the equipment and measuring equipment of the probe's sub-systems. Its task is to safeguard the probe's operability with various protection, monitoring and control functions even though another piece of equipment might be damaged. In addition, with the PDU non-recurring functions can be activated, such as opening the sun panels and antennas and firing the Beagle 2 lander.

Also involved in the Mars Express is the Finnish Meteorological Institute, which is responsible for the computer system and software in the probe's debris tester and for the pressure indicator equipment in the Beagle 2 lander. Helsinki University has also participated in the project in addition to some ten Finnish sub-contractors. The Mars Express is part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) science programme. ESA's operations in Finland are coordinated and financed by the National Technology Agency.

Reliability the most important quality factor

Patria has the only electronic-board production line approved by the ESA. The operations are based on standards that are published by European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) and cover three sub-areas: project management, quality control and planning instructions.

Should it go wrong, each individual sub-system and component is very likely to have an effect on the entire probe. For that reason each detail is given a great deal of careful attention and documented agreed standards are observed. In Space ventures nothing is of secondary importance.

In Space, however, top technology does not always mean state-of-the-art technology; it can be the application of tested technology to the demanding Space environment. Space technology is expensive, because, for example, operational tests are time-consuming and require special environments.

In the Mars Express project Patria was able to copy the power distribution unit of the Rosetta probe. Later the same know-how was further refined in the ESA's CryoSat, Venus Express and Herschel projects. At present equipment produced by Patria is also flying in the SOHO, XMM, Cluster, PROBA and Envisat satellites.

The Mars Express satellite, which was shot into Space at the beginning of June, will go into orbit around Mars at Christmas and the Beagle-2 lander will descend to its destination.

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The Mars Express probe, which is travelling to Mars with a Finnish heart, will arrive at its destination at Christmas time.


The Mars Express's PDU (power distribution unit) plays a central role in the probe's ability to deliver.