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The UK-backed Smile spacecraft, set to study interactions between the solar wind and Earth\u2019s magnetosphere, has arrived at Europe\u2019s Spaceport in French Guiana.<\/p>\n
A series of final preparations now separate the satellite from its launch, expected to take place between 8 April and 7 May.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSmile arrives at Europe’s Spaceport<\/a><\/p>\n Smile \u2013 a joint European-Chinese mission developed with strong contributions from British academia and industry \u2013 reached French Guiana on 26 February, following a two-week transatlantic journey that began at ESA\u2019s technical heart (ESTEC) in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n Smile will investigate the region surrounding Earth known as the magnetosphere, which acts as a protective shield against solar wind and radiation. Using a suite of sensors, the spacecraft will reveal how the magnetosphere reacts to charged particles and radiation from the Sun. In doing so, it is expected to support efforts to protect critical infrastructure \u2013 both in space and on Earth \u2013 from the impacts of space weather.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSmile European partners<\/a><\/p>\n The UK is heavily involved in Smile\u2019s overall mission science, with the University of Leicester leading the consortium responsible for the spacecraft\u2019s soft X-ray imager<\/a> (SXI) in collaboration with University College London\u2019s Mullard Space Science Laboratory, the Open University and European partners. SXI is one of four science instruments carried by Smile. \u00a0<\/p>\n In addition, two UK-based companies \u2013 Teledyne e2v\u00a0and Photek Ltd \u2013 made vital hardware contributions to the mission.<\/p>\n