From August 4th to 8th, 2025, the SMILE mission successfully conducted the China-Europe System Operation Validation Test (SOVT). The test focused on verifying the network connectivity, data exchange, and coordinated operations capabilities between the Joint Scientific Application System, the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), the Ground Support System, the Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) system, the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), the satellite platform, and the payload module. Through a week-long continuous test campaign, the team successfully completed:

·        Full-process simulation of the payload's in-orbit operational modes.

·        Timing coordination verification for relay tracking between Chinese and European ground stations.

·        End-to-end validation of the scientific data flow, from acquisition to distribution.

·        System autonomous recovery testing under simulated anomaly conditions.

The success of this joint system test not only verified the reliability of the individual systems but also demonstrated the outstanding collaborative capabilities of the China-Europe team. It further proved that both sides have established a highly trusted technical cooperation mechanism for the integration of complex space systems.

Academician Wang Chi, Principal Scientist of the SMILE mission and Director of the National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), visited the China-Europe joint test team at the Huairou campus. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the staff who remained at their posts during the summer vacation period despite the high temperatures.

Fig. Group Photo of the SOVT Team