Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Smile is currently being prepared for launch at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The launch is set for 9 April 2026.
Smile will be the first mission to observe Earth’s magnetosphere in X-ray light, revealing exactly when, where and how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic environment.
The image at the beginning of the video is a simulation showing what we expect to see with Smile’s X-ray camera – and reveals the smiley face responsible for the mission’s name! The ‘smile’ is the edge of the magnetosphere facing the Sun, and the two ‘eyes’ are the magnetic holes at Earth’s north and south poles.
Smile is a joint European–Chinese mission. We are responsible for the payload module (carrying the scientific instruments), the launch vehicle, one of the scientific instruments and part of the science operations. The Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for three scientific instruments, the platform, and the mission and science operations.
📹 European Space Agency (ESA)
#ESA #Space #Earth
Smile is currently being prepared for launch at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The launch is set for 9 April 2026.
Smile will be the first mission to observe Earth’s magnetosphere in X-ray light, revealing exactly when, where and how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic environment.
The image at the beginning of the video is a simulation showing what we expect to see with Smile’s X-ray camera – and reveals the smiley face responsible for the mission’s name! The ‘smile’ is the edge of the magnetosphere facing the Sun, and the two ‘eyes’ are the magnetic holes at Earth’s north and south poles.
Smile is a joint European–Chinese mission. We are responsible for the payload module (carrying the scientific instruments), the launch vehicle, one of the scientific instruments and part of the science operations. The Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for three scientific instruments, the platform, and the mission and science operations.
📹 European Space Agency (ESA)
#ESA #Space #Earth
![How astronauts weigh themselves in space ⚖️ (Part 2) [French with English subtitles]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gThIxuOiAtU/mqdefault.jpg "How astronauts weigh themselves in space ⚖️ (Part 2) [French with English subtitles]
Our astronaut Sophie Adenot shared this video on her social media channels with the caption:
[EN] Day 057, orbit 0896 – Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 3: Weighing yourself in weightlessness, part 2 ⚖️.
The device used in this video to measure mass is called the Mass Measurement Device (MMD) or Измеритель Масс (ИМ) in Russian!
[FR] Jour 057, orbite 0896 – La science du dimanche matin avec Sophie, épisode 3 : se peser en micropesanteur, partie 2 ⚖️.
L’appareil utilisé dans cette vidéo pour mesurer la masse s’appelle le MMD (Mass Measurement Device) ou Измеритель Масс (ИМ) en russe.
📹 ESA/NASA
#ESA #Astronaut #ISS")
![Water and convex lenses 💧 [French with English subtitles]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hKm4uYatEGY/mqdefault.jpg "Water and convex lenses 💧 [French with English subtitles]
Our astronaut Sophie Adenot shared this video on her social media channels with the caption:
[EN] Day 072, orbit 1113 — Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 5: Water and convex lenses.
[FR] Jour 072, orbite 1113 – La science du dimanche matin avec Sophie, épisode 5 : Eau et lentilles convexes.
📹 ESA/NASA
#ESA #Astronaut #ISS")
