The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have successfully launched the Smile (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) satellite. The launch took place aboard a Vega-C rocket from the European Spaceport in French Guiana on May 19, 2026, at 04:52 BST / 05:52 CEST (00:52 local time). This joint mission primarily aims to investigate Earth's response to the solar wind, a crucial phenomenon for understanding space weather.

The Smile satellite was carried into space on Vega-C flight VV29. This rocket, 35 meters tall and weighing 210 tons at the launch pad, used three solid-fueled stages to reach orbit. A fourth, liquid-fueled stage was responsible for the precise insertion of Smile into its orbit around Earth. The Smile mission is equipped with four scientific instruments designed to collect detailed data on the interaction between the solar wind and Earth's environment.

The data collected by Smile will significantly improve the understanding of phenomena such as solar storms and geomagnetic storms. These events have the potential to affect critical infrastructure on Earth, including power grids, communication systems, and satellites. By studying how Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere respond to the flow of charged particles from the Sun, Smile will contribute to better prediction and mitigation of space weather impacts, a field of study of increasing importance for today's technological society.