SMILE (spacecraft)

Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer
Artist's impression of the SMILE spacecraft
Mission typeMagnetospheric mission
OperatorESA-CAS
Websitecosmos.esa.int/web/smile/links
Mission duration3 years (nominal)[1]
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerAirbus (payload module)
Launch mass2200 kg
Dry mass708 kg
Power850 W
Start of mission
Launch dateQ4 2025 (planned)[2]
RocketVega-C
Launch siteKourou
ContractorArianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeHighly elliptical orbit
Perigee altitude5,000 km
Apogee altitude121,182 km
Inclination70° or 98°
SMILE mission logo
SMILE mission insigna
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Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) is a planned joint venture mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. SMILE will image for the first time the magnetosphere of the Sun in soft X-rays and UV during up to 40 hours per orbit, improving our understanding of the dynamic interaction between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere.[3][4] The prime science questions of the SMILE mission are

  • What are the fundamental modes of the dayside solar wind/magnetosphere interaction?
  • What defines the substorm cycle?
  • How do coronal mass ejection-driven storms arise and what is their relationship to substorms?

As of April 2024, SMILE is expected to launch in late 2025.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference SMILE-Overview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Smiles all round: Vega-C to launch ESA solar wind mission". ESA. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  3. ^ Branduardi-Raymont, G.; Wang, C.; Escoubet, C.P.; et al. (2018). ESA SMILE definition study report (PDF) (Technical report). European Space Agency. pp. 1–84. doi:10.5270/esa.smile.definition_study_report-2018-12. S2CID 239612452. ESA/SCI(2018)1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 April 2023.
  4. ^ "SMILE: Summary". UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory. Retrieved 19 December 2018.