24/04/2026 (Agence Europe) – The joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Smile (Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer), is due to be launched on 19 May from Kourou aboard a European Vega-C rocket, ESA announced on Friday 24 April. The initial launch date - 9 April - was postponed as a precautionary measure, following a technical problem identified on the Vega-C subsystem production line. Following in-depth investigations, all the partners agreed on 19 May as the new launch date. Smile will study the Earth’s response to the streams of particles and bursts of radiation from the Sun, using an X-ray camera to make the first X-ray observations of Earth’s magnetic field, and an ultraviolet camera to watch the northern lights non-stop for 45 hours at a time. (CG)