All prelaunch activities for the China-Europe joint mission, the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), have been completed at Europe's spaceport in French Guiana, South America, and the launch is scheduled for April 9, the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced recently.

The satellite, a landmark collaboration between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the European Space Agency, has been integrated onto a Vega-C rocket, marking the mission's entry into the final launch countdown.

Solar wind is a high-speed plasma flow originating from the sun. Its interaction with Earth's magnetosphere can trigger space weather events that threaten the safety of orbiting satellites, the accuracy of navigation and positioning systems, the stability of communication links and the operation of power grids in high-latitude regions.

The SMILE mission, China's first comprehensive, mission-level space science partnership with the ESA, will pioneer the use of a wide-field soft X-ray imager to achieve the first-ever global imaging of Earth's magnetospheric boundaries. The mission is expected to provide new insights into solar-terrestrial interactions and advance space weather research.

Preparation work for the launch began after the satellite passed joint qualification and flight acceptance reviews on Oct 28. Critical hardware was subsequently transported to the Guiana Space Centre, including the satellite's propellant, which was shipped from Shanghai in late November and arrived in Kourou, French Guiana, in early February.

Meanwhile, the satellite flight model and its test equipment departed from the ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands on Feb 11. Transported by the cargo vessel Colibri, the equipment arrived in French Guiana on Feb 26 and was transferred to the launch complex.

At the spaceport, the China-Europe joint test team conducted an intensive verification campaign, confirming all satellite systems were operating within specifications and remained stable. The physical and functional integration of the satellite with the payload launch adapter has been completed, meeting all preparatory milestones.

With the launch window confirmed, the joint team is conducting final checks on weather conditions and the integrated vehicle to ensure readiness for liftoff.

limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn