Vega-C | Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

Provider: Avio S.p.A

Vehicle: Vega-C

Launch Date: May 19, 2026

Launch Site: Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)

Target Orbit: Elliptical

Orbital Compute Tier: Low

Joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to investigate the interaction between Earth’s protective shield – the magnetosphere – and the supersonic solar wind.

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