On March 26, 2026, the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that the SMILE (Solar wInd Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) satellite — jointly developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and ESA — has completed all pre-launch preparations at the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana. The satellite is scheduled for launch aboard a Vega-C rocket on April 9, 2026 (local time).
This marks China's first mission-level, fully integrated deep collaboration in space science with ESA.
Scientific Objectives
SMILE aims to provide unprecedented panoramic imaging of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction:
- Panoramic imaging of solar wind-magnetosphere interaction: First continuous panoramic imaging of the entire magnetospheric boundary
- Understanding space weather drivers: Deep investigation into the energy coupling between solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere
- Multi-wavelength coordinated observations: Combining UV imaging, soft X-ray imaging, and magnetospheric particle sampling
Payloads
SMILE carries four primary scientific instruments:
- Ultraviolet Imager (UVI): Observations of aurora and polar ionosphere
- Soft X-ray Imager (SXI): Imaging of the magnetopause and polar cusps
- Low-Energy Ion Detector (LID): Measurement of low-energy ions and electrons
- Magnetometer (MAG): Magnetic field measurements at the satellite position
Launch Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Vehicle | Vega-C |
| Launch Site | Kourou Spaceport, French Guiana |
| Scheduled Launch | April 9, 2026 (local time) |
| Cooperation Mode | CAS + ESA Joint Development |
| Satellite Platform | Developed by ESA |
Significance of China-EU Space Cooperation
The successful implementation of the SMILE mission will set a benchmark for China-EU space science cooperation and lay the technical foundation for deeper future collaboration. Scientific data from the mission will be openly available to researchers worldwide, advancing humanity's understanding of space weather in the solar system.
Source
- CNSA: SMILE 卫星完成发射前最后准备