Testing Smile’s solar arrays
On 15 May 2025, engineers checked that the two solar arrays of ESA’s next space science mission, Smile, would unfold correctly in space.
On the right of the spacecraft, one solar array is fully extended, confirming to engineers that the deployment mechanism that releases the solar array works correctly.
Once in space, Smile’s solar panels will produce 850 W of power to the spacecraft’s onboard systems and scientific instruments.
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. The main body of the spacecraft is covered in gold-coloured thermal insulation material. To the right of the main body, there is an array of solar panels extending horizontally. The room has white walls with structural beams and various equipment visible in the background. In the foreground is some equipment, including a computer screen that appears to be linked to the spacecraft and showing some data.]
