How engineers prepare the Smile mission for its 2026 launch
Go behind the scenes at the ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands to witness the final testing phases of the Smile mission. This video explores the rigorous review process required to ensure the spacecraft is flight-ready.
The Smile mission, or Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, is a collaborative venture between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the European Space Agency. The mission is designed to investigate the Earth's reaction to solar storms and the solar wind.
The footage captures the final stages of qualification and flight acceptance reviews. Following these successful tests, the mission is scheduled to depart on a European Vega-C rocket in the spring of 2026.
Source: Good to go – Let's Smile (episode 4)
