Agency
20/02/2026
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A UK-backed spacecraft that will study how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic shield is en route to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana ahead of its launch.
The joint European-Chinese Smile mission will be sent into orbit aboard a Vega-C rocket, with a launch window of between 8 April and 7 May.
Smile en route to French Guiana
Smile will offer unique insight into the magnetosphere – which protects Earth from solar radiation – and how it responds to the stream of charged particles and radiation emanating from the Sun. This information is envisioned to help scientists better understand and predict space weather, supporting efforts to protect astronauts, satellites and terrestrial technologies from its impacts.
The spacecraft was assembled from two parts and thoroughly tested at ESA’s technical heart in the Netherlands (ESTEC) over the course of about one year. On 11 February, it departed ESTEC for the Port of Amsterdam, where it was loaded onto a cargo vessel to begin a two-week transatlantic crossing.
Smile benefits from strong UK contributions, with British experts co-leading the overall mission science.
View of Smile in the Maritime Nantaise’s Colibri ship
The consortium responsible for Smile’s soft X-ray imager is led by the University of Leicester in collaboration with University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory, the Open University and European partners.
In addition, key instrument components were manufactured by two UK-based companies, Teledyne e2v and Photek Ltd.
Caroline Harper, Head of Space Science at the UK Space Agency, said: “Smile is a landmark mission for UK space science. By leading the soft X-ray imager instrument and co-leading the overall mission science, British researchers will be at the forefront of the discoveries this mission delivers, drawing on our world-leading expertise in solar physics, space plasma and planetary science. Smile data will help improve space weather forecasting, protecting critical systems like satellite navigation, communications and power infrastructure.
“I’m also delighted to see UK companies Teledyne e2v and Photek Ltd making vital hardware contributions, demonstrating that British industry can compete and win on the global stage. As Smile sets sail for its launch in French Guiana, the UK Space Agency is excited for what lies ahead.”
You can read the full story about Smile’s transatlantic crossing on the Space Science pages of esa.int.
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