Ilmatieteen laitos, Finnish Meteorological Institute is an Autonomous Organization, with its own legal status and assets, assigned to the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland, and designated as a public service and research organization by the Finnish law 6.4.2018/212, and is regulated by the above-mentioned law and regulation 19.4.2018/263. FMI is specialized in weather services and research, and among other functions, space research through its own scientific and technological developments, and through the corresponding exchanges and co-operation with other national and foreign agencies and organizations. FMI has over 35 years of experience in the overall investigations and exploration of space technology, comets, space weather, Mars and other terrestrial planetary bodies.

FMI has been involved in space-borne scientific missions since 1985 and has a competitive record of building space instruments and systems for planetary, space research and Earth observation purposes. This involves initiation, development, management, operation and analysing data, developing theoretical models for data interpretation, and publishing the results in leading peer-reviewed journals. FMI has in-depth experience in project and mission management and has assumed that role in many complex international space science projects and missions.