Smile lifts off on quest to reveal Earth’s invisible shield against the solar wind
The Smile spacecraft has successfully launched from French Guiana to study Earth's magnetic shield against solar winds. This mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aims to provide unprecedented insights into solar storms and space weather. Smile will utilize advanced imaging technology to observe Earth's magnetic environment and its interactions with solar particles over the next three years.
- ▪Smile lifted off on a Vega-C rocket from French Guiana on May 19, 2026.
- ▪The mission aims to understand solar storms and the science of space weather.
- ▪Smile is a collaboration between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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| Original publisher | Esa |
| Canonical URL | https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Smile/Smile_lifts_off_on_quest_to_reveal_Earth_s_invisible_shield_against_the_solar_wind |
| Publication time | Tue, 19 May 2026 07:00:00 +0200 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-19T04:59:57.254Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-19T04:59:57.254Z |
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Science & Exploration Smile lifts off on quest to reveal Earth’s invisible shield against the solar wind 19/05/2026 7 views 0 likes ESA / Science & Exploration / Space Science / Smile The Smile spacecraft lifted off on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 04:52 BST / 05:52 CEST (00:52 local time) on 19 May 2026. The launch marks the beginning of an ambitious mission to better understand solar storms, geomagnetic storms, and the science of space weather. Following launch and separation from the rocket, the first signal from Smile was received by ESA’s New Norcia ground station in Australia at 06:49 CEST. The spacecraft’s solar panels then deployed at 06:50 CEST, meaning that Smile can now collect sunlight to power its systems and science instruments.
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