Smile mission to launch on Vega-C rocket on May 19, 2026

9 articles · Updated · European Space Agency · Apr 23

The European Space Agency and Chinese Academy of Sciences will launch Smile at 05:52 CEST from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana after resolving a Vega-C subsystem technical issue.
Smile will use X-ray and ultraviolet cameras to study Earth’s magnetic field and northern lights, aiming for the first X-ray observations of these phenomena and continuous aurora monitoring for 45 hours.
The mission, part of ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme, seeks to advance understanding of solar storms and space weather, with ESA and CAS sharing responsibilities for instruments, spacecraft, and operations in orbit.

How will Europe and China navigate data sharing from this unprecedented joint space mission?

Will this historic ESA-China partnership pave the way for more joint deep-space exploration?

What happens if Smile's complex 25-day orbital maneuver sequence encounters a problem?

After a technical delay, what makes the Vega-C rocket the right choice for this mission?

Can this mission finally help us predict solar storms that threaten our power grids?