SMILE Mission Passes China-Europe Joint Qualification and Flight Acceptance Review, Advances to Launch Phase
The Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) mission successfully passed its China-Europe Joint Qualification and Flight Acceptance Review (QFAR) on October 28, 2025, in Noordwijk, Netherlands. The milestone confirms the satellite has completed Assembly, Integration, and environmental Testing (AIT), meeting all mission requirements and readiness for launch.
The review involved over 40 experts and delegates from institutions including the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), National Space Administration of China (CNSA), European Space Agency (ESA), National Space Science Center (NSSC), Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) at University College London (UCL), etc. Co-chaired by NSSC Director General Wang Chi (also China’s Principal Investigator for SMILE) and ESA’s Carole Mundell (Director of Space Science) and Giovanni Colangelo (Inspector General), the review committee finalized the Joint QFAR Board Report and approved the release of satellite to be shipped and launched.
SMILE had previously cleared its flying-model Platform QFAR in China in September 2024. From November 2024 to September 2025, the satellite underwent Assembly, Integration, and environmental Testing at ESTEC facility in the Netherlands. The mission is slated for launch in 2026 from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
