Smile lifts off on quest to reveal Earth’s invisible shield against the solar wind (esa.int)

• Launched on 19 May 2026 with Vega-C from Kourou
• Studies magnetosphere and solar wind interaction
• ESA-CAS collaboration to improve space weather prediction

"The Smile spacecraft launched on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 05:52 CEST on 19 May 2026. The mission aims to study Earth’s magnetosphere and its interaction with the solar wind to better understand solar storms and geomagnetic storms. Smile will capture X-ray and UV images of the magnetosphere and provide data to improve space weather forecasting. The mission is a collaboration between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences."