The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its 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.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Smile will reveal how Earth's magnetic field reacts to the streams of particles and bursts of energy that the Sun constantly throws in our direction. It will give humankind its first complete look at how the solar wind leads to geomagnetic storms and auroras.
The magnetosphere that surrounds Earth is invisible to our eyes, but with its X-ray camera (SXI), Smile will reveal this shield that protects us from the Sun. With its UV camera (UVI), it will watch the northern lights for 44 hours at a time to further understand Earth's response to solar storms.
Its findings will improve our models of the magnetic bubble that surrounds Earth, ultimately helping to protect space-based technology and the lives of any humans in orbit around Earth, as well as infrastructure on Earth’s surface.
Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).