Europe and China plan joint space mission "Smile"
In May 2026, a special journey into space will begin. The European Space Agency (ESA) and China are working together on the "Smile" mission. The name stands for "Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer." The goal of this mission is to better understand the connection between the Sun and the Earth.
The launch is scheduled for May 19, 2026. At 05:52 in the morning, a Vega-C rocket is set to carry the satellite into space. ESA will broadcast the launch live on the internet so that interested people around the world can follow this event.
After launch, the rocket will first place the satellite into a circular orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers. But that is not yet the final destination. Over the following 25 days, the spacecraft must fire its engines a total of eleven times. In this way, it will reach the correct position in space step by step to begin its scientific work.
Scientists want to use Smile to observe how the solar wind hits the Earth's magnetic field. The solar wind consists of charged particles that constantly come from the sun. When these particles hit the Earth's atmosphere, they can create beautiful auroras, but unfortunately also cause technical problems for satellites or power grids.
This mission is an important example of international cooperation in science. By combining European and Chinese technology, experts hope to gain new insights into our solar system. The data from Smile will help in the future to better protect the Earth from the effects of strong solar storms.