SMILE Satellite Launched to Observe Sun-Earth Interactions and Auroras
đ° Original title: Lanzado el satĂ©lite SMILE de China y la ESA para estudiar la interacciĂłn entre el Sol y la Tierra
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The SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) satellite, a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and China's Academy of Sciences, was successfully launched on May 19, 2026, aboard the Vega C rocket from the Guiana Space Center. Originally planned for April, the launch was delayed due to technical issues. After reaching a preliminary circular orbit of 706 km, SMILE will use its propulsion system to move to its operational highly elliptical orbit of 5,000 x 121,000 km with a 51-hour period. The 2,250 kg satellite is designed to study the interaction between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. Equipped with four scientific instruments, including a soft X-ray telescope, ultraviolet imager, ion detector, and magnetometer, SMILE will capture images of auroras and monitor space weather phenomena over extended periods, up to 45 hours per orbit. The mission aims to improve understanding of magnetic reconnection, aurora responses to solar wind, and geomagnetic storm formation caused by coronal mass ejections. SMILE is controlled primarily from Norway's Troll station, with support from China's Sanya station. This mission represents the first end-to-end collaboration between ESA and China, from mission conception to operations, and is expected to generate significant scientific data, approximately 35 GB per orbit.
SMILE Satellite Launched to Observe Sun-Earth Interactions and Auroras
đ° Original title: Lanzado el satĂ©lite SMILE de China y la ESA para estudiar la interacciĂłn entre el Sol y la Tierra
đ€ IA: It's not clickbait â
đ„ Users: It's not clickbait â
View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/smile-satellite-launched-to-observe-sun-earth-interactions-and-auroras.html?utm_source=mastodon_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_social
The SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) satellite, a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and China's Academy of Sciences, was successfully launched on May 19, 2026, aboard the Vega C rocket from the Guiana Space Center. Originally planned for April, the launch was delayed due to technical issues. After reaching a preliminary circular orbit of 706 km, SMILE will use its propulsion system to move to its operational highly elliptical orbit of 5,000 x 121,000 km with a 51-hour period. The 2,250 kg satellite is designed to study the interaction between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. Equipped with four scientific instruments, including a soft X-ray telescope, ultraviolet imager, ion detector, and magnetometer, SMILE will capture images of auroras and monitor space weather phenomena over extended periods, up to 45 hours per orbit. The mission aims to improve understanding of magnetic reconnection, aurora responses to solar wind, and geomagnetic storm formation caused by coronal mass ejections. SMILE is controlled primarily from Norway's Troll station, with support from China's Sanya station. This mission represents the first end-to-end collaboration between ESA and China, from mission conception to operations, and is expected to generate significant scientific data, approximately 35 GB per orbit.
#TachyonBeam #SpaceMission #ESA #China #magnetosphere #SolarWind #launch #VegaC
A few hours ago, the Smile satellite was launched from the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana atop a Vega-C rocket. After about 56 minutes, the Smile satellite separated from the rocket's last stage and began maneuvers that are scheduled to last approximately 25 days.
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New #space mission #SMILE will launch today (May 19, 7:52 UTC). The #SolarWind #Magnetosphere #Ionosphere Link Explorer, a collaboration between #ESA and the #Chinese Academy of Sciences #CAS, will study #Earthâs #magnetosphere in soft X-rays and #UV to better understand the dynamic interaction between both.
Vega-C dĂ©collera finalement dans la nuit 19 mai prochain depuis le Centre Spatial Guyanais, Ă Kourou. Pour l'observer, il faudra ĂȘtre rĂ©veillĂ© Ă 00h52. Le lanceur lĂ©ger mettra en orbite le satellite SMILE, nĂ© dâune coopĂ©ration entre lâAgence spatiale europĂ©enne et lâAcadĂ©mie chinoise des sciences.
Vega-C dĂ©collera finalement dans la nuit 19 mai prochain depuis le Centre Spatial Guyanais, Ă Kourou. Pour l'observer, il faudra ĂȘtre rĂ©veillĂ© Ă 00h52. Le lanceur lĂ©ger mettra en orbite le satellite SMILE, nĂ© dâune coopĂ©ration entre lâAgence spatiale europĂ©enne et lâAcadĂ©mie chinoise des sciences.
Vega-C dĂ©collera finalement dans la nuit 19 mai prochain depuis le Centre Spatial Guyanais, Ă Kourou. Pour l'observer, il faudra ĂȘtre rĂ©veillĂ© Ă 00h52. Le lanceur lĂ©ger mettra en orbite le satellite SMILE, nĂ© dâune coopĂ©ration entre lâAgence spatiale europĂ©enne et lâAcadĂ©mie chinoise des sciences.
Vega-C dĂ©collera finalement dans la nuit 19 mai prochain depuis le Centre Spatial Guyanais, Ă Kourou. Pour l'observer, il faudra ĂȘtre rĂ©veillĂ© Ă 00h52. Le lanceur lĂ©ger mettra en orbite le satellite SMILE, nĂ© dâune coopĂ©ration entre lâAgence spatiale europĂ©enne et lâAcadĂ©mie chinoise des sciences.
When the #SolarWind interacts with charged particles in the upper Martian #atmosphere, a long magnetic tail forms and extends behind #Mars.
NASAâs #MAVEN probe has shown that this #magnetotail is particularly dynamic: it twists, shifts, ... #Flapping phenomena have also been observed by the Chinese Tianwen-1 orbiter.
Researchers suggest that the flapping of Mars magnetotail should result from magnetic #reconnexion : https://eos.org/research-spotlights/what-makes-marss-magnetotail-flap
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