Smile mission poster
*Artist's impression and not to scale*
Smile will reveal how Earth's magnetic field reacts to the relentless streams of particles and bursts of energy that the Sun constantly throws in our direction. It will give humankind its first complete look at how the solar wind leads to geomagnetic storms and auroras.
The magnetosphere that surrounds Earth is invisible to our eyes, but with its X-ray camera, Smile will reveal this shield that protects us from the Sun. With its UV camera, it will watch the northern lights for 44 hours at a time to further understand Earth's response to solar storms.
Its findings will improve our models of the magnetic bubble that surrounds Earth, ultimately helping to protect space-based technology and the lives of any humans in orbit around Earth, as well as infrastructure on Earth’s surface.
Smile is a collaboration between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
[Image description: A space scene showing the bright yellow Sun on the left, sending a stream of glowing light toward Earth on the right. Earth appears small, wrapped in smooth, blue, bubble‑like shapes that arc around it. Above Earth, a gold spacecraft floats against the dark, star‑filled background, with two narrow beams pointing down toward the planet. A red banner across the bottom of the image reads 'Imaging Earth's magnetic environment', with the word 'Smile' above. The ESA logo is at the top right of the image, and the Smile mission patch is at the bottom right.]
