In Norse mythology, ODIN was the powerful all-knowing sky-god. The ODIN satellite is advancing scientific knowledge in the fields of astronomy and aeronomy. Its sensing instruments are capable of detecting millimetre waves emitted by molecules in Earth's atmosphere, in celestial bodies in the Solar system and in the interstellar medium.

The satellite was launched in February 2001.  In March 2006, the partner agencies - Sweden, Canada, Finland and France - decided to further extend ODIN's mission.

Through its measurements, ODIN permits the study of  the chemical composition of the terrestrial atmosphere and its evolution. It finds and analyses key molecules such as chlorine oxide, carbon monoxide, and oxygen. It thus works to understand what is depleting the ozone layer.

At the same time, the satellite spent 7 years shedding new light on the chemical processes underlying star formation and the origins of the solar system.

Since 30 April 2007, the astronomy part of the ODIN mission has been stopped. Operations for the aeronomy part will henceforth be run by ESA which has included them in its Earth Observation "Third Party Mission".

^{Last updated: August 2008}