AVIO TO LAUNCH SMILE SATELLITE ON APRIL 9th 2026 ON VEGA-C

Colleferro (Rome) March 20th 2026 - On April 9th at 03.29 AM local time (06.29 UTC; 08.29 AM CEST), Avio will launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) and Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (Smile) scientific satellite. The mission, designated “VV29”, will be carried out by a Vega-C launcher, the first operated by Avio, lifting off from the European Spaceport in French Guiana.

Smile will be released into a circular orbit at an altitude of 700 km for a mission to a high inclination highly elliptical orbit with an apogee of 121.000 km and a perigee of 5000 km. The planned Smile separation time is about 57 minutes.

The satellite will measure the solar wind and its dynamic interactions with the Earth’s magnetosphere, enhancing our understanding of the connection between the Sun and the Earth. Smile weighs 2,250 kilograms.

With this launch, Avio reaffirms its key role in supporting ESA’s scientific missions.

VV29 launch at a glance
• First Vega-C flight operated by Avio;
• First Vega-C launch in 2026;
• Second ESA scientific mission placed into orbit by Vega-C;
• Seventh Vega-C flight overall.