Watch: Vega-C rocket launches ESA-China's Smile spacecraft to study space weather

The Smile spacecraft lifted off aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport at 04:52 BST / 05:52 CEST (00:52 local time) on May 19, 2026. The mission’s core goal is to study how Earth reacts to solar wind, which could help improve space weather forecasting and better protect satellites, communications systems, and power grids from solar activity. The spacecraft carries four instruments — a soft X-ray imager, an ultraviolet imager, a magnetometer, and an ion analyzer. Together, they will make the first-ever X-ray observations of Earth’s magnetic field. Stay tuned to Starlust for more spaceflight updates, launch coverage, and the latest developments in space science and exploration.