Smile was successfully launched on 19 May 2026 from the spaceport of French Guiana, Europe.
This timelapse shows the excitement and precision of the launch operations as the spacecraft begins its journey to study the connection between the Sun and Earth.
SMILE (Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is an international space science mission designed to investigate how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere. By observing these dynamic processes from space, SMILE will help scientists better understand space weather and its effects on our planet’s magnetic environment.
