European XFEL is an international non-profit company located in the Hamburg area in Germany. It operates a 3.4 km-long X-ray laser, which produces X-rays of unique quality for studies in physics, chemistry, the life sciences, materials research and other disciplines. The diverse scientific facilities at European XFEL enable scientists from across the globe to carry out a wide range of experimental techniques. At the High-Energy-Density instrument (HED) the physical properties of extreme states of matter are deciphered for a wide range of dense and hot conditions, which in turn will deepen our understanding of astrophysical objects and phenomena as well as the dynamic processes in dense plasmas. The instrument offers a variety of X-ray diagnostics and