Smile spacecraft-launcher fit check

The Smile spacecraft will be launched into space on a Vega-C rocket in spring 2026. In September 2025, engineers checked that the spacecraft fits the adapter that will connect it to the rocket. They confirmed that the interface works as expected, and nothing has warped during the spacecraft’s testing phase.

Read more about the final stages of the Smile test campaign

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: Close-up of part of a spacecraft inside a cleanroom. The upper section is wrapped in shiny gold thermal foil, while the lower section is a dark cylindrical structure. A metal ring connects the two parts. In the background, there are workbenches with tools, monitors, and cleanroom equipment.]