Highly elliptical Earth orbit
Smile
ESA and Chinese Academy of Sciences mission studying Earth's response to the solar wind and space weather.
Launched May 19, 2026; ESA reported Smile reached its science orbit on June 25, 2026.
View in 3D map ↗Official mission site ↗The mission
Smile (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint ESA and Chinese Academy of Sciences mission that uses X-ray, ultraviolet, particle, and magnetic-field instruments to study how Earth's magnetic environment responds to the solar wind.
The launch
- Launch
- May 19, 2026, 05:52 CEST
- Launch location
- Europe's Spaceport, French Guiana
- Launch vehicle
- Vega-C
- Orbit
- Highly elliptical Earth orbit
Mission timeline
Follow the mission through its available trajectory data in the full 3D solar-system map.
- Now
Current mission status
Now
Launched May 19, 2026; ESA reported Smile reached its science orbit on June 25, 2026.
Objectives
- 01
Study solar storms, geomagnetic storms, and the science of space weather.
- 02
Observe Earth's magnetic shield in X-rays and auroras in ultraviolet light.
Spacecraft
Smile
- Soft X-ray Imager
- Ultraviolet Imager
- Light Ion Analyser
- Magnetometer
Gallery
0 images from Smile.
No mission imagery is available yet.
Community discussion
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