https://www.cas.cn/cm/202603/t20260326_5105195.shtml

The Solar Wind-Magnetospheric Interaction Panoramic Imaging Satellite (SMILE, or “Smile Satellite”), jointly developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the European Space Agency (ESA), completed all pre-launch preparations at the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana. The satellite has successfully docked with the Vega-C launch vehicle and is scheduled for launch on April 9th .

The “Smiling Satellite” mission marks China’s first comprehensive and in-depth cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) at the mission level, and is also the final mission of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Space Science (Phase II) Strategic Priority Research Program. This satellite will pioneeringly employ soft X-ray imaging technology to achieve, for the first time, a holistic imaging of the large-scale structure of the Earth’s magnetosphere, providing innovative observational methods for revealing the mysteries of the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetosphere. The mission is expected to achieve a series of original and significant scientific breakthroughs in areas such as space weather forecasting and fundamental understanding of magnetospheric physics.

Currently, the launch window has been confirmed, and the Sino-European joint team is closely monitoring and confirming the launch site weather and the final technical status of the rocket and satellite to ensure the successful launch of the “Smiling Satellite” on schedule, jointly embarking on a new journey of Sino-European cooperation in