Smile reaches science orbit

The European-Chinese Smile mission reached its designated science orbit on 20 June 2026. The team is now embarking on a two-month campaign to ‘commission’ the spacecraft, which involves switching on and testing out its toolbox of science instruments.

Since launching into space on a European Vega-C rocket on 19 May 2026, Smile has fired its main engine 12 times – 11 times to raise its height above the North Pole, and then one final time to raise its height above the South Pole, as seen in this animation.

The spacecraft has now reached its final highly elliptical orbit, which takes it 120 920 km over the North Pole to collect data on the magnetic bubble that surrounds Earth, as well as the auroras that light up the sky when particles from the Sun collide with this bubble. It then comes down to 5027 km over the South Pole to deliver that data to eagerly awaiting scientists.

The spacecraft is in excellent condition, with the engine performing better than expected. This has saved extra propellant that increases the potential lifetime of the mission. Around 164 kg remains for the spacecraft to maintain its orbit and achieve its ambitious science goals over the next three-plus years.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) leads the operation of Smile in space. The European Space Agency (ESA) has supported every day of the orbit manoeuvre phase, coordinating with the CAS team as Smile passed over and was in contact with European ground stations in French Guiana and Antarctica.

The ESA team is now in Beijing, China, to support the commissioning of the instruments. This will last until the end of August 2026. The real science is set to begin in September 2026. In the words of Smile’s ESA Project Manager, David Agnolon, “Everyone keeps on Smile-ing!”

Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

[Image description: A GIF with Earth at the centre, surrounded by black space speckled with white stars. A series of blue ellipses appear one-by-one around Earth, as we slowly zoom out. Finally one larger and bolder pink ellipse appears.]