Smile set to launch on 19 May

The initial launch date was postponed as a precautionary measure, after a technical issue was identified on the production line of a Vega-C subsystem component. Both Smile and the Vega-C that will take it to space remain stable and safe.

Following the completion of careful investigations into the issue, all partners have agreed on 19 May as the new launch date.

Smile is a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It will reveal how Earth responds to the streams of particles and bursts of radiation from the Sun, using an X-ray camera to make the first X-ray observations of Earth’s magnetic field, and an ultraviolet camera to watch the northern lights non-stop for 45 hours at a time.

Launch preparations are progressing well at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. In March, Smile was fuelled, integrated with the Vega-C rocket adapter, and enclosed inside the rocket fairing.

During the launch, the four stages of the Vega-C will separate one by one, before finally releasing Smile after 57 minutes. Smile’s solar panels will unfold after 63 minutes – the milestone that confirms launch success.

The launch will drop Smile off into a low-Earth orbit. From there, the spacecraft will take over to bring itself to its final, egg-shaped orbit that goes 121 000 km above the North Pole to collect data, before coming 5000 km above the South Pole to deliver it to waiting ground stations.

For the latest updates on the launch, visit our dedicated page and follow @science.esa.int and @transport.esa.int (Bluesky) and @esascience and @ESA_transport (X).

Our Smile launch kit is a set of infographics providing an overview of the mission, its science goals and the launch timeline. It is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Chinese.

Our mission minisite gives an overview of all-things-Smile.