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Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer Spacecraft

SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is an ESA–Chinese Academy of Sciences observatory launched on 19 May 2026 to study how solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic shield using X-ray, ultraviolet, particle, and magnetic-field measurements from a highly elliptical Earth orbit.

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Identity

Family Name
SMILE
Full Name
Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer Spacecraft
Roles
observatoryorbiter
Status
active
Type
spacecraft

Details

Description
SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is an ESA–Chinese Academy of Sciences observatory launched on 19 May 2026 to study how solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic shield using X-ray, ultraviolet, particle, and magnetic-field measurements from a highly elliptical Earth orbit.
First Flight Year
2,026

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Assets & Meta

Creation Time
August 13, 2026 at 00:50:50 UTC
Updated Time
August 13, 2026 at 00:50:50 UTC
Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer Spacecraft - AeroVia