The European-Chinese Smile mission reached its intended science orbit on June 20, 2026. The team has commenced a two-month campaign to commission the spacecraft.
This joint venture between Europe and China aims to study the interaction between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere. The mission's orbit is designed to optimize observations of these space weather phenomena.
During commissioning, engineers are switching on and testing the spacecraft's suite of science instruments. The process ensures all tools are functioning correctly before full scientific operations begin.
Once operational, Smile is expected to provide unprecedented data on how solar activity affects Earth's magnetic field. This could improve predictions of geomagnetic storms that disrupt satellites and power grids.
The commissioning phase will conclude around August 2026, after which the mission will transition to routine science gathering. No specific instrument issues have been reported thus far.