SMILE Reaches Science Orbit and Begins In-Orbit Commissioning
Editor: | Jun 23 , 2026
Launched on 19 May 2026 from Kourou, French Guiana, the SMILE satellite successfully entered its designated science orbit on 20 June (CET). The joint CAS-ESA team has now begun a two-month in-orbit commissioning campaign to test all scientific payloads.

Caption: An illustration of how SMILE reaches its science orbit (5,000*121,000 km).
Download:
