SMILE AIT facility now operational at ESTEC
As three of the SMILE payloads and the payload module were delivered to European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands in October, a dedicated SMILE AIT facility was also set up.
On 31 October, WANG Chi from the National Space Science Center (NSSC, CAS) and Carole Mundell from the Science Directorate of the European Space Agency visited ESTEC with the SMILE team to review the preparation of SMILE AIT and the progress of the mission. Among the SMILE payloads, MAG, SXI, and QM UVI are currently undergoing environmental testing, while LIA has completed cross-calibration and is ready for assembly. UVI FM and the satellite platform are expected to be delivered in mid-November, after which the SMILE team will spend approximately nine months testing and integrating the payloads with the payload module and platform.
The Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) is a joint mission between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It is expected to be launched by the end of 2025 to take advantage of the best opportunity to observe the dynamic interaction between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetosphere during the maximum of this solar cycle.
During the visit, Mr. Wang Chi and Ms. Carole Mundell also discussed the space science plans and progress of each side and explored potential future collaboration opportunities.
