The SMILE Science Study Team (SST) has been meeting every few months since the mission was chosen for the initial study phase, normally at ESA ESTEC with teleconference participation from China. The SST is made up of the mission and payload PIs and Co-Is, and the ESA's Study Scientist; the participation is extended to instrument developers, ESA and CAS scientists, engineers and managers as required by the issues being examined. One of the main tasks of the SST is to develop and maintain the SMILE Science Requirement Document, which describes the mission science objectives and science requirements, and to ensure that the derived performance requirements for the payload will deliver the science expected from SMILE.　　

SMILE Science Working Groups

A number of SMILE Science Working Groups have been established in order to support the SMILE Science Study Team in ensuring that the mission science objectives are achieved and optimised, and in adding value to SMILE science through the contributions of complementary measurements on the ground and in space.

1) SWG - In Situ Group (Chair: Lei Dai, NSSC/CAS)

2) SWG - Data Formats (Chair: Harri Laakso, ESA)

The SWG had a kick-off meeting at ESAC, near Madrid, Spain, in January 2018. Studies and discussions are ongoing in order to establish the most effective way to incorporate the remote sensing and in situ data which SMILE will return into a user-friendly framework, taking into account the different formats used.

3) SWG - Ground-Based and Additional Science (GBAS) (Chair: Jenny Carter, Leicester University)

Links with ground observers are already well established (as illustrated in the SMILE ground-based support document by Carter et al. 2015). Preliminary contacts with operational and forthcoming space missions are taking place in order to coordinate observing and software efforts.

4) SWG - Outreach (Chair: Graziella Branduardi-Raymont, MSSL/UCL)

Much discussion and activity is taking place generating contacts with organisations promoting science in primary and secondary schools, holding workshops and promoting careers in science, focusing on SMILE as a practical example of how space projects are developed, and encouraging pupils to follow its progress to launch and beyond.

5) SWG - Modelling Working Group (MWG) (Co-Chairs: Hyunju Connor, Univ. of Alaska, and Tianran Sun, NSSC/CAS)