The SMILE mission by ESA and China launched on May 19, 2026, to capture the first X-ray images of Earth's magn! Swipe to see →
At 03:52 UTC on May 19, 2026, a Vega-C rocket lifted off from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the SMILE spacecr...
The launch was broadcast live by the European Space Agency (ESA) and monitored by control teams in Darmstadt, Germany, and Beijing, China...
The concept of photographing the magnetosphere in X-rays has been in development for over two decades. The SMILE project was formally app...
The implications of the SMILE mission extend far beyond academic interest. Understanding the magnetosphere's dynamics is essential for pr...
ESA Science Director Carole Mundell expressed enthusiasm about the mission's potential, stating: "SMILE will give us for the first time a...
Following the successful launch, scientific observations from SMILE are expected to commence in September 2026. The first results from th...
Visit our portal and read the full story!