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
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
Smile will be ESA's first mission to view the full Sun-Earth connection, filling an essential gap in our understanding of the Solar System.
Specifically, Smile will improve our understanding of space weather and solar storms. The magnetospheric bubble that surrounds Earth is invisible to our eyes, but with its UV and X-ray cameras, Smile will reveal this shield that protects us from the Sun. Its findings will help protect space-based technology and the lives of any humans in orbit around Earth, as well as infrastructure on Earth’s surface.
Smile is a collaboration between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
[Image description: A bright gold spacecraft with blue solar panels against a dark background of space.]