The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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An artist's impression of Hinode in orbit.
Hinode (Sunrise in Japanese) was launched to study magnetic fields on the Sun and their role in powering the solar atmosphere and driving solar eruptions.
Hinode is a Japanese mission developed and launched by ISAS/JAXA, with NAOJ as domestic partner and NASA and STFC as international partners. It is operated by these agencies in co-operation with ESA and the Norwegian Space Centre.
Since 27 May 2007, European scientists have free access to spectacular data and images from Hinode. This free access is possible thanks to the opening of the Hinode Science Data Centre in Norway, developed and run by the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oslo on behalf of ESA and the Norwegian Space Centre. It is part of ESA and Norway’s joint contribution to this solar mission.
The other part of the joint contribution to Hinode consists of ground station coverage through the SvalSat downlink station at Svalbard, which nearly quadruples the data rate and thus significantly increases Hinode’s science return. Svalsat is the only station in the world that can receive Hinode’s data during each of its 15 daily orbits.
Hinode's operations centre is located at JAXA's facility in Sagamihara, Japan.