https://xcdr.tv/videos/watch/c1398434-177d-4efe-ab41-8c44c9375d84 Smile is currently being prepared for launch at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The launch is set for 9 April 2026. Smile will be the first mission to observe Earth’s magnetosphere in X-ray light, revealing exactly when, where and how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic environment. The image at the beginning of the video is a simulation showing what we expect to see with Smile’s X-ray camera – and reveals the smiley face responsible for the mission’s name! The ‘smile’ is the edge of the magnetosphere facing the Sun, and the two ‘eyes’ are the magnetic holes at Earth’s north and south poles. Smile is a joint European–Chinese mission. We are responsible for the payload module (carrying the scientific instruments), the launch vehicle, one of the scientific instruments and part of the science operations. The Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for three scientific instruments, the platform, and the mission and science operations. 📹 European Space Agency (ESA) #ESA #Space #Earth Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:48:54 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://xcdr.tv https://xcdr.tv/lazy-static/avatars/d7ff3488-9036-438f-95d1-547afee4fcf4.png https://xcdr.tv/videos/watch/c1398434-177d-4efe-ab41-8c44c9375d84 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://xcdr.tv/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.