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Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

© ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. Martin

All launches
Avio S.p.A

Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

Success

Vega-C
T-minus to liftoff

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00

HOURS

:

00

MINUTES

:

00

SECONDS

May 19, 03:52:10 UTC
StatusSuccess
VehicleVega-C
OrbitElliptical Orbit
PadAriane Launch Area 1 (ELV)
Loading map…

Mission

Joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to investigate the interaction between Earth’s protective shield – the magnetosphere – and the supersonic solar wind.

Launch Timeline

In-flight

T+00:00:00

Liftoff

T+00:02:25

Stage 2 Separation

T+00:02:26

SES

T+00:04:30

Stage 3 Separation

T+00:04:37

Stage 3 Ignition

T+00:04:42

Fairing Separation

T+00:07:14

Kick Stage Separation

T+00:20:23

Kick Stage Ignition

T+00:24:32

Kick Stage Cut-off

T+00:52:57

Kick Stage Burn

T+00:54:52

Kick Stage Cut-off

T+00:56:24

Payload Separation

T+02:00:37

Kick Stage Ignition

T+02:01:44

Kick Stage Cut-off

Quick facts

VehicleVega-C
OrbitElliptical Orbit
PadAriane Launch Area 1 (ELV)
SiteGuiana Space Centre, French Guiana
WindowMay 19, 03:52:10 UTC→May 19, 03:52:10 UTC

Vehicle

FamilyVega
Height34.8 m
Diameter3 m
Stages4
ReusableNo
LEO capacity3,300 kg
Track record6/7 successful
Acquiring satellite view…
General trajectory
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)
Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Launching
North
20° · NNE
5.236, -52.775

Orbital elements (TLE)

2 element sets
Orbit
Apogee708 km
Perigee698 km
Period98.8 min
Inclination70.02°

Launch heading 20° · NNE from SMILE PO.

Parking orbitSMILE PO› conehigh
1 70090U 26109A 26139.17689815 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9990
2 70090 70.0092 242.4059 0244502 013.1174 064.7000 15.09421409 08
OrbitSMILEhigh
1 70090U 26109A 26139.19842593 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9996
2 70090 70.0203 242.3644 0007001 062.9672 131.7000 14.57056741 07

Pre-launch TLEs from Dillon's Space Page. Estimated before flight — the real orbit is confirmed post-launch.

Scrub riskLOW
Go99%
Q

Q's read

Weather & scrubLOW risk
Weather Go99%Wind7 ktGusts15 ktCloud10%Temp81°F