SMILE (spacecraft)
Chinese–European satellite studying Earth's magnetosphere / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) is a planned joint venture mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. SMILE will image for the first time the magnetosphere of the Sun in soft X-rays and UV during up to 40 hours per orbit, improving our understanding of the dynamic interaction between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere.[3][4] The prime science questions of the SMILE mission are
- What are the fundamental modes of the dayside solar wind/magnetosphere interaction?
- What defines the substorm cycle?
- How do coronal mass ejection-driven storms arise and what is their relationship to substorms?
Quick Facts Mission type, Operator ...
Mission type | Magnetospheric mission |
---|---|
Operator | ESA-CAS |
Website | cosmos |
Mission duration | 3 years (nominal)[1] |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | Airbus (payload module) |
Launch mass | 2200 kg |
Dry mass | 708 kg |
Power | 850 W |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | May 2025 (planned)[2] |
Rocket | Vega-C |
Launch site | Kourou |
Contractor | Arianespace |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Highly elliptical orbit |
Perigee altitude | 5,000 km |
Apogee altitude | 121,182 km |
Inclination | 70° or 98° |
Official insignia for the SMILE mission |
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As of October 2023, SMILE is expected to launch in May 2025.[2]