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\t\t\t\t\t\t02\/04\/2026<\/span> ESA will be broadcasting live as the European-Chinese Smile mission launches at 07:29 BST\/08:29 CEST (03:29 local time) on 9 April 2026.<\/p>\n Smile will launch on a European Vega-C rocket from Europe\u2019s Spaceport in French Guiana.<\/p>\n Times subject to change at short notice.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Tune into ESA Web TV directly or via the ESA YouTube livestream to follow the launch live.<\/p>\n The launch programme will run from 08:10\u201309:45 CEST. Milestones include:<\/p>\n An ESA press release will be issued when it is confirmed that Smile\u2019s solar arrays have successfully deployed, which is expected to happen at 09:32 CEST. The press release will be available via the ESA Newsroom and esa.int\/Smile.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n After the Vega-C rocket drops Smile off in a circular orbit 700 km above Earth\u2019s surface, the spacecraft will fire its engines 11 times in 25 days.<\/p>\n These engine burns will gradually elongate Smile\u2019s orbit around Earth\u2019s poles, until it is reaching 121 000 km above the North Pole and 5000 km above the South Pole.<\/p>\n Once Smile has arrived in this final operational orbit, the mission team will prepare the spacecraft for science. As well as checking that everything works as planned, this involves remotely unfolding Smile\u2019s magnetometer boom, opening the shutter of its X-ray camera and opening the cover of its ultraviolet camera.<\/p>\n About three months after launch, the team will receive the first X-ray and ultraviolet images, and then finally begin the science that Smile is designed to do. The planned mission lifetime is three years.<\/p>\n Stay updated via esa.int\/Smile.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n About Smile<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Smile<\/i>\u00a0(the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).<\/i><\/p>\n 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\u00a0storms\u00a0and the science of space weather.<\/i><\/p>\n ESA\u00a0is\u00a0responsible for\u00a0providing Smile\u2019s payload module (which carries three of the four science instruments), one of the spacecraft\u2019s four science instruments (the soft X-ray imager, SXI), the launcher, and the Assembly Integration and Testing facilities and services. ESA contributes to a second science instrument (the ultraviolet imager, UVI) and the mission operations once Smile is in orbit.<\/i><\/p>\n CAS\u00a0provides the other\u00a0three science instruments and the spacecraft\u00a0platform, and\u00a0is responsible for\u00a0operating\u00a0the spacecraft in orbit.<\/i><\/p>\n Smile is part of ESA’s\u00a0<\/i>Cosmic Vision<\/i>\u00a0programme, principally contributing to answering the question \u2018How does the Solar System work?\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n For more information, visit:\u00a0<\/i>https:\/\/www.esa.int\/Science_Exploration\/Smile<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n About Vega-C<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Europe\u2019s\u00a0<\/i>Vega-C<\/i>\u00a0rocket 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.<\/i><\/p>\n 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\u00a0<\/i>Avio<\/i>\u00a0as prime contractor and design authority.<\/i><\/p>\n For more information, visit:\u00a0<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t28<\/span> views<\/small><\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t0<\/span> likes<\/small><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nWatch live from 08:10 CEST on 9 April<\/h2>\n
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\n \tEvent<\/b><\/td>\n \tTime after liftoff<\/b><\/td>\n \tTime in CEST<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tLiftoff, first stage ignition<\/td>\n \t00:00<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tFirst stage expends all its fuel and separates<\/td>\n \t00:02<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tSecond stage ignition<\/td>\n \t00:02<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tSecond stage expends all its fuel and separates<\/td>\n \t00:04<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tThird stage ignition<\/td>\n \t00:04<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tFairing opens revealing Smile to the sky<\/td>\n \t00:04<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tThird stage expends all its fuel and separates<\/td>\n \t00:07<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tFirst ignition of upper stage<\/td>\n \t00:20<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:49<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tEnd of first upper stage boost<\/td>\n \t00:24<\/i><\/td>\n \t08:53<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tSecond upper stage boost starts<\/td>\n \t00:52<\/i><\/td>\n \t09:21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tEnd of second upper stage boost<\/td>\n \t00:54<\/i><\/td>\n \t09:23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tSmile separates from Vega-C and flies free<\/td>\n \t00:56<\/i><\/td>\n \t09:25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tExpected time of acquisition of Smile\u2019s first signal from space<\/td>\n \t00:57<\/i><\/td>\n \t09:26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tExpected time of deployment of Smile\u2019s solar arrays<\/td>\n \t01:03<\/i><\/td>\n \t09:32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tThird upper stage boost to deorbit<\/td>\n \t02:00<\/i><\/td>\n \t10:29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \tEnd of third upper stage boost. Vega-C mission complete<\/td>\n \t02:01<\/i><\/td>\n \t10:30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n Press release<\/h2>\n
Beyond launch day<\/h2>\n