Smile on the shaker

In May 2025, ESA’s next space science mission, Smile, underwent ‘vibration testing’ on the largest satellite shaker in Europe.

The ‘shaker’ simulates the powerful vibration of a rocket taking off, ensuring that Smile will remain intact during launch.

This image shows engineers from ESA, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and European Test Services preparing the spacecraft for the vibration tests.

Smile is currently in its ‘space environment testing’ phase at ESA’s technical heart, ESTEC, in the Netherlands. Engineers are taking the spacecraft through tough checks, needing it to pass with flying colours before being allowed out on its own. Other tests include making sure that the entire system can operate properly in the vacuum of space, that the different parts of the spacecraft don’t create too much electromagnetic disturbance for other parts, and that the spacecraft’s two solar arrays will extend correctly in space.

Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

[Image description: The image shows a group of engineers working on a spacecraft in a cleanroom. The spacecraft is covered in gold thermal insulation material. The engineers are wearing white lab coats, hairnets, and gloves, indicating that they are in a controlled environment to prevent contamination. There are workstations and equipment visible in the background.]