From cleanroom to space: Smile mission

Smile successfully launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 19 May 2026. This timelapse captures the excitement and precision of launch operations as the spacecraft begins its journey to study the connection between the Sun and Earth. Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is an international space science mission designed to investigate how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere. By observing these dynamic processes from space, Smile will help scientists better understand space weather and its effects on our planet's magnetic environment. Credits: European Space Agency (ESA) Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Vi... ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe and click twice on the bell button to receive our notifications. We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related. Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Te...