“Smile” in space: This is what it looks like according to the researchers. image: esa
May 19, 2026, 07:20May 19, 2026, 07:25
Applause in Brugg AG: The solar wind satellite “Smile” arrived safely in space. A Vega-C rocket took him to an altitude of over 700 kilometers above Earth.
About an hour after launch, the satellite detached from the rocket and unfolded its solar panels. The start is therefore considered a success.
The start of the mission.source: youtube
“We have a new satellite,” said Säm Krucker from the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) in Brugg AG to a reporter from the Keystone-SDA news agency. FHNW researchers have developed and built important components for the mission. The start was a big step for them, they said.
“Now comes the coolest part,” says Krucker, who leads the “Smile” project at the FHNW. “Smile” will now be collecting data in space for three years.
“Smile” wants to understand space weather
“Smile” (“Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer”) is a project of the European and Chinese space organizations. The mission’s goal is to better understand – and perhaps even predict – space weather.
The weather in space is determined by solar winds and solar storms, in which charged particles are thrown out of the sun. When the particles hit the Earth’s magnetic field, not only northern lights arise, but also complex interactions: satellites can be damaged, navigation systems can be disrupted and even power grids on Earth can be affected. “Smile” wants to comprehensively measure these processes.
Everything about “Smileimage: esa
A cooling system for the telescope was developed, manufactured and tested at the FHNW. Swiss researchers also contributed software for the mission. They developed algorithms to improve the image quality of the wide-angle camera.
In addition to parts of the satellite, parts of the rocket that carries the satellite into space also come from Switzerland. For example, the tip of the rocket that protects the satellite was manufactured at Beyond Gravity in Emmen LU. (pre/sda)