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

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.

Astrophysics · Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical)

No booster details available.

• ESA's Smile mission launch (Official broadcast) — European Space Agency, ESA
• Vega C | Flight VV29 | SMILE | Avio — Avio SpA
• Vega C | Vol VV29 | SMILE | Avio — Avio SpA
• Vega C | Volo VV29 | SMILE | Avio — Avio SpA

1. T−0Liftoff
2. T+2M25SStage 2 Separation
3. T+2M26SSES
4. T+4M30SStage 3 Separation
5. T+4M37SStage 3 Ignition
6. T+4M42SFairing Separation
7. T+7M14SKick Stage Separation
8. T+20M23SKick Stage Ignition
9. T+24M32SKick Stage Cut-off
10. T+52M57SKick Stage Burn
11. T+54M52SKick Stage Cut-off
12. T+56M24SPayload Separation
13. T+2H37SKick Stage Ignition
14. T+2H1M44SKick Stage Cut-off

• Launch success with spacecraft acquisition & solar panels deployment.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/19/2026 · source

• Spacecraft separation.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/19/2026 · source

• Liftoff.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/19/2026 · source

• Tweaked T-0.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/19/2026 · source

• Official Webcast by European Space Agency, ESA has started

  LL2 · 5/19/2026 · source

• Rescheduled for May 19.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 4/23/2026 · source

• Launch delayed due to a technical issue on a subsystem component production line. New launch date TBA.

  Nosu · 4/6/2026 · source

• Targeting April 9 at 06:29 UTC

  Nosu · 3/20/2026 · source

• NET April 8.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 10/24/2025 · source

• Targeting early 2026

  Nosu · 2/7/2025 · source