Copernical Team
Artemis II astronauts rocket toward the moon after spending a day around Earth
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Earth from Space: Eyes on our Moon
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In an unusual perspective for an Earth-observing satellite, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captures this image of Earth’s only natural satellite. A pair of planet-forming discs
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A pair of planet-forming discs The unseen challenges of life on the moon
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Artemis II's moonbound toilet is working again to astronauts' relief after overnight fix
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Artemis astronauts await green light for lunar orbit
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Artemis II to test new models that predict solar particle storms up to a day ahead
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How to follow the Smile launch live
ESA will be broadcasting live as the European-Chinese Smile mission launches at 07:29 BST/08:29 CEST (03:29 local time) on 9 April 2026.
Smile will launch on a European Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Times subject to change at short notice.
Smile: A global answer to a global mystery
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The European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences are joining hands to uncover how Earth defends itself against dangerous particles and radiation from the Sun.
It’s the first time we will have images and videos of what happens when this solar wind crashes into our magnetic field. Smile will witness this interaction in action, using four onboard instruments to watch the drama unfold.
Life can only exist as we know it when nestled safe inside this giant magnetic bubble surrounding our planet. By imaging the bubble as a whole for the first time, Smile will help us
A silicon chip that can do it all
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A silicon chip that can do it all