ESA and CAS release first SMILE images and start science operations
The joint European and Chinese satellite is operational in orbit to study interaction between solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere.
The European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have declared the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, ready for science operations following an in-space commissioning period.
Launched on May 19, the mission reached its target science orbit on June 20. Instrument teams have released the first images captured by its onboard instruments, including the Ultra-Violet Imager and Soft X-ray Imager.
SMILE is designed to build a global picture of how Earth's magnetosphere responds to the continuous stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun, providing valuable data on solar wind dynamics.