Smile delivered to space (artist impression)

This is a still from a cinematic animation. Click here to view the animation in full.

The joint European-Chinese Smile mission will launch this spring from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, on a Vega-C rocket.

Following liftoff, the first, second and third stages of the rocket will be released one by one, before Smile finally separates from the fourth (upper) stage 57 minutes after launch. In this image, the first and second stages have been released, and the third and fourth stages are still attached. Find out more about the different Vega-C stages here.

Around 5–10 minutes later, Smile will deploy its solar arrays, stretching them out ready to collect the sunlight necessary to power its onboard systems and science instruments.

Using X-ray and ultraviolet cameras, as well as particle and magnetic field detectors, Smile will give humankind its first complete look at how Earth reacts to streams and bursts of particles and radiation from the Sun.

By improving our understanding of the solar wind, solar storms and space weather, Smile will fill a stark gap in our understanding of the Solar System and help keep our technology and astronauts safe in the future.

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

[Image description: A shiny, golden spacecraft in the centre of the screen is attached to a white and grey rocket part, which is gently firing its engine. The rocket part is about two to three times longer than the spacecraft. In the background, we see Earth, with the horizon curving across the screen from lower left to upper right.]