Smile spacecraft sets sail to study Earth’s interaction with solar wind

The Smile spacecraft has embarked on its journey to study the interaction between the Earth and the solar wind, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The spacecraft was transported from ESA’s technical center in the Netherlands to the Port of Amsterdam, where it was loaded onto the Colibri cargo ship. Notably, the same vessel was responsible for transporting the James Webb Space Telescope in 2021.

On February 11, the Colibri departed for a two-week voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Kourou, French Guiana, where it will be launched. The shipment includes 12 containers holding the Smile spacecraft and its equipment, alongside four team members—two from Europe and two from China. With turbulent seas anticipated, the team took precautions to ensure the safe transport of the equipment, including flushing the containers with nitrogen to eliminate moisture and contaminants, as well as rigorously monitoring temperature and humidity levels.

David Agnolon, ESA Project Manager for the Smile mission, praised the extensive collaboration among the diverse personnel involved, emphasizing that many people contributed to various logistical and legal elements of the operation. Two days into the journey, the vessel made a brief stop in Saint Nazaire, France, to collect the upper stage of the Vega-C rocket, which will eventually launch Smile into orbit. This encounter marks a significant collaboration between two vital elements of the mission as they head towards their ultimate deployment in space.

Expected to arrive before the end of the month, the ship will dock at Europe’s Spaceport for final launch preparations, where additional team members from both Europe and China will join to assist with unpacking, testing, and fueling the spacecraft. Looking ahead, Agnolon expressed excitement for the upcoming weeks, noting the importance of every step leading up to the mission’s launch.

Smile, an acronym for Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, aims to enhance our understanding of the Earth’s response to solar activity. Using four scientific instruments, the mission will advance knowledge of solar and geomagnetic storms as well as the science of space weather. ESA is responsible for the spacecraft’s payload and two of the scientific instruments, while CAS oversees the spacecraft platform and three additional instruments. As part of ESA’s Cosmic Vision program, Smile aims to unravel the mysteries of the Solar System.

The Vega-C rocket, which is designed to launch smaller scientific and Earth observation spacecraft, plays an important role in this mission, capable of delivering 2,300 kilograms into orbit. Weighing 210 tonnes and standing 35 meters tall, the Vega-C rocket ensures Europe retains independent access to space, complementing the existing Ariane launch family.