SMILE mission begins scientific operations to study Earth's magnetosphere

The joint European-Chinese SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) mission has officially cleared its commissioning phase and is ready to begin scientific operations. The spacecraft, a collaborative effort between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aims to study the interactions between solar wind and Earth's magnetic field.

Launched on May 19 aboard a Vega-C rocket from the European Spaceport in French Guiana, the probe reached its target orbit on June 20. Following several months of testing mechanisms, powering up instruments, and verifying communications, the mission is now approved to collect data. The spacecraft utilizes a highly elliptical orbit, passing over the South Pole at 5,027 km and the North Pole at 120,920 km to observe the magnetosphere and auroras.

Key scientific objectives include investigating space weather, such as solar and geomagnetic storms. The mission will feature unprecedented observations, including the first use of a soft X-ray imager to study Earth's magnetic field and an ultraviolet camera to observe auroras. The project involves a consortium of more than 250 scientists from both regions.