Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

Orbited SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer), a joint ESA-Chinese Academy of Sciences mission to image Earth's magnetosphere in soft X-rays and UV; the VV29 flight was the first Vega C launch operated by Avio rather than Arianespace.

Outcome

Success

Orbit

Elliptical

Elliptical orbit

Payload to orbit

2.3 T

Flight

7th

of 8 Vega-C flights

Date and time

19 May 2026, 03:52 UTC

Rocket

Vega-C

Builder

Avio

Launch site

Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Payload

Astrophysics

International designator

2026-109

Launches in 2026

114th of 243

See it in orbit

Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.

View satellites in Space Atlas↗