Smile gets tilted and turned
In April 2025, engineers measured the mass properties (total spacecraft mass, position of the centre of gravity and moment of inertia about all three axes) of the Smile spacecraft as part of its ‘space environment testing’ phase.
Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Smile is due to launch on a European Vega-C rocket in 2026. Follow the latest mission news via esa.int/smile.
[Image description: A spacecraft inside a cleanroom environment. The spacecraft is mounted on a large white platform and is covered in gold-coloured thermal insulation material. The platform appears to be tilted so the spacecraft is leaning backwards and to the right from the viewer’s perspective.]
