Vega-C shoots through the sky with a Smile

The Vega-C rocket pierces through the clouds after a liftoff from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 00:52 local time (04:52 BST/05:52 CEST) on 19 May 2026. Vega-C carried the Smile mission to space on flight VV29.

Find out more about Smile’s journey from launch to orbit.

Find out more about the Vega launch site.

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

The Vega-C programme is led by ESA, working with Avio as prime contractor and design authority. It ensures that Europe has versatile and independent access to space.

[Image description: A night-time photo with a long exposure showing a rocket trail through the clouds. In the foreground is a silhouette of a tower.]