Smile Sets Sail for Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana

Why It Matters

SMILE will fill critical gaps in space‑weather forecasting, protecting satellite and power‑grid infrastructure, while showcasing Europe’s growing launch autonomy through Vega‑C. The joint ESA‑China effort also strengthens international cooperation in deep‑space science.

Key Takeaways

• Smile spacecraft arrived in French Guiana for Vega‑C launch
• Joint ESA‑China mission will study solar wind impacts on Earth
• Launch window scheduled between 8 April and 7 May 2026
• Payload includes X‑ray, UV cameras, particle and magnetic detectors
• Transport used nitrogen‑flushed containers to protect spacecraft integrity

Pulse Analysis

SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) represents a strategic partnership between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, targeting the elusive dynamics of solar‑driven space weather. By combining four complementary instruments—soft X‑ray imager, ultraviolet imager, particle spectrometer, and magnetic‑field detector—the mission will map how solar wind streams and radiation bursts reshape Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere. This data is vital for improving predictive models that safeguard satellite communications, GPS reliability, and power‑grid stability, sectors that collectively underpin modern economies.

The journey of SMILE highlights the intricate logistics behind cutting‑edge space missions. After final assembly at ESTEC, the spacecraft was shipped in nitrogen‑purged containers aboard the Colibri vessel, the same ship that delivered the James Webb Space Telescope to French Guiana in 2021. Maintaining a dry, oxygen‑free environment mitigates contamination risks, while continuous monitoring of temperature, pressure, and humidity ensures instrument integrity. The two‑week Atlantic transit, including a brief stop in Saint Nazaire to collect the Vega‑C upper stage, exemplifies the coordinated effort of dozens of specialists across Europe and China.

Vega‑C, Europe’s versatile launch vehicle, will lift SMILE into a low‑Earth orbit where it can continuously monitor solar‑wind interactions. With a payload capacity of 2.3 tonnes, Vega‑C reinforces Europe’s independent access to space, reducing reliance on external launch providers. Successful deployment of SMILE will not only advance scientific understanding of the Sun‑Earth connection but also bolster the commercial market for space‑weather services, a rapidly growing niche as industries increasingly depend on resilient satellite and communication infrastructures.

Smile sets sail for Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana

20 February 2026

Just over a year since Smile arrived in the Netherlands in two parts, the now‑complete and thoroughly‑tested spacecraft has left for good. With a launch window set for 8 April – 7 May on a Vega‑C rocket, the joint European‑Chinese mission is almost ready to embark upon its unique space mission.

Using X‑ray and ultraviolet cameras, as well as particle and magnetic‑field detectors, Smile will give humankind its first complete look at how Earth reacts to streams of particles and bursts of radiation from the Sun.

Following an early‑morning departure by truck from ESA’s technical heart (ESTEC) on 11 February, Smile arrived at the Port of Amsterdam where it was loaded onto Maritime Nantaise’s Colibri cargo ship. The same ship transported the James Webb Space Telescope in 2021.

Late that evening, the ship set sail on a two‑week journey across the Atlantic Ocean towards Pariacabo harbour in Kourou, French Guiana. It was loaded with 12 containers with the spacecraft and accompanying equipment, as well as four members of the Smile team – two from Europe and two from China.

With rough seas forecast, the team worked hard to secure everything safely. To keep the spacecraft clean and dry during the trip, its container is regularly flushed with nitrogen, which removes oxygen, water vapour and other potential contaminants. The team is also constantly measuring parameters such as temperature, pressure and humidity.

David Agnolon, ESA Project Manager for Smile, was delighted with how everything went:

“Everybody has done a fantastic job to make this happen, whether it’s the truck drivers, the boat crew or the crew that was involved in preparing the logistics. For legal matters, insurance matters, driving on the Dutch roads, crossing the Atlantic – it’s many, many tens of people involved in this process, with ESA overall responsible for this part of the mission, but our Chinese colleagues closely involved.”

Two days into the journey, the ship made a quick pit‑stop in Saint Nazaire, France, to pick up the upper stage of the Vega‑C rocket that will carry Smile to space and drop it off into orbit around Earth. A fitting encounter for these two crucial pieces of hardware, to journey together across Earth as well as in space.

The ship is expected to make landfall before the end of February, where it will be taken to Europe’s Spaceport for final launch preparations. More team members from Europe and China will arrive to support this phase of unpacking, testing, fuelling and connecting the spacecraft to the Vega‑C upper stage.

David is now looking forward to it:

“Two more months and we’re in space – every little step counts!”

You can follow the ship’s journey here.

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About Smile

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

Smile will use four science instruments to study how Earth responds to the solar wind from the Sun. In doing so, Smile will improve our understanding of solar storms, geomagnetic storms and the science of space weather.

• ESA is responsible for providing Smile’s payload module (which carries three of the four science instruments), one of the spacecraft’s four science instruments (the soft X‑ray imager, SXI), the launcher, and the Assembly Integration and Testing facilities and services. ESA also contributes a second science instrument (the ultraviolet imager, UVI) and the mission operations once Smile is in orbit.

• CAS provides the other three science instruments and the spacecraft platform, and is responsible for operating the spacecraft in orbit.

Smile is part of ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme, principally contributing to answering the question “How does the Solar System work?”

For more information, visit: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Smile

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About Vega‑C

Europe’s Vega‑C rocket can launch 2300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth‑observation spacecraft. At 35 m tall, Vega‑C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid‑propellant‑powered stages before the fourth liquid‑propellant stage takes over for precise placement of satellites into their desired orbit around Earth.

Complementing the Ariane family to launch all types of payloads into their desired orbits, Vega‑C ensures that Europe has versatile and independent access to space. ESA leads the Vega‑C programme, working with Avio as prime contractor and design authority.

For more information, visit: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Vega/Vega-C