The Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), a satellite developed through a collaboration between China and Europe, has released its first set of scientific images and data, marking the start of its regular science operations phase. The mission, designed to study the interaction between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere, has already produced promising results that scientists say will help unravel how solar activity affects the space environment around our planet.
Among the newly released images is the first continuous panoramic view of the aurora borealis, revealing its detailed structure over extended periods. Another image captures the glowing remnants of an exploded star located approximately 160,000 light-years away. The satellite has also collected its first high-resolution measurements of magnetic fields and ions in a very high Earth orbit, providing an unprecedented look at the dynamic processes that drive space weather.
SMILE was launched on May 19 from French Guiana. After about a month of orbital adjustments, it reached its operational orbit on June 20. All instruments were switched on and functioned normally, and calibration was completed, allowing the satellite to begin gathering valid data. The mission is the first comprehensive, mission-level space science collaboration between China and Europe, aiming to uncover the mysteries of how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere.
The images and data were collected by four scientific instruments aboard the satellite. SMILE carries the world's first soft X-ray imager (SXI) installed on a spacecraft, capable of turning the previously invisible boundary of the magnetosphere into images. It also hosts an ultraviolet imager (UVI) for auroral observations, a light ion analyzer (LIA), and a magnetometer (MAG). Together, these instruments enable simultaneous global-scale imaging of magnetospheric changes and direct measurements of solar wind conditions at the satellite's location. This gives scientists an unprecedented tool to study space weather phenomena such as magnetic storms and substorms.
The SMILE project originated from a cooperation initiative jointly launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the European Space Agency in 2015. It established a mechanism of equal, mutually beneficial, and complementary cooperation. China was fully responsible for developing the satellite platform, telemetry and control, ground support, and scientific application systems, and led the development of the UVI, LIA, and MAG payloads. The European side handled the development of the payload module and the SXI, and provided the launch vehicle, launch site, and telemetry and control support during the active phase.
Scientists consider these first results highly promising. The data will help researchers better understand how the Sun's activity influences Earth's space environment, a key step toward improving predictions of space weather events that can disrupt satellites, communications, and power grids. With SMILE now in regular operation, the mission is expected to deliver a continuous stream of observations that will deepen our understanding of the Sun-Earth connection.