Smile will be ESA’s first mission to view the full Sun-Earth connection, filling an essential gap in our understanding of the Solar System.
Specifically, Smile will improve our understanding of space weather and solar storms. The magnetospheric bubble that surrounds Earth is invisible to our eyes, but with its UV and X-ray cameras, Smile will reveal this shield that protects us from the Sun. Its findings will help protect space-based technology and the lives of any humans in orbit around Earth, as well as infrastructure on Earth’s surface.
Find out more about Smile
Smile is a collaboration between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
[Video description: A bright gold spacecraft with blue solar panels against a dark background of space. The video rotates around the spacecraft, showing its position between Earth and the Sun.]