Polishing Smile’s solar panels

In May 2025, engineers checked that the solar arrays of ESA’s next space science mission, Smile, would unfold correctly in space.

In preparation for the test, an engineer polishes a small spot on one of the panels.

Once in space, Smile’s solar panels will produce 850 W of power to the spacecraft’s onboard systems and scientific instruments.

Find out more

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 a folded-up array of solar panels. An engineer crouching on a platform is wiping a solar panel with what looks to be a white cloth or tissue.]