Envision will study Venus from its core to its upper atmosphere to reveal more about the planet’s history, geological activity, and climate. It will help us understand why Earth’s closest neighbour – in distance as well as in physical characteristics – has evolved into such a hostile planet.

A mission like Envision takes years of planning, involving much teamwork between scientists and engineers. It’s as much a human as a technical endeavour. This video provides a peek behind the scenes at this process.

This short episode is the introduction to a new series called ‘Envision this’, which will follow the development of the mission. Keep an eye on the dedicated Envision website for future episodes.

At the European Space Agency’s technical heart in the Netherlands, engineers have taken Smile through the final steps of testing and past its qualification and flight acceptance review – confirming that it is ready for launch in spring 2026.

This video let’s viewers peek into the testing and review process. It is the fourth episode in a series of short videos, and includes interviews with David Agnolon (ESA Smile Project Manager), Xia Jiayi (CAS Thermal Engineer), Ana Carillo Pérez (Airbus AIT Electrical and Functional Lead Engineer), Adriana González Castro (ESA Smile Project Controller), Li Jing (CAS Smile Project Manager) and Carole Mundell (ESA Director of Science).

Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Smile is due to launch on a European Vega-C rocket in spring 2026. Follow the latest mission news via esa.int/smile.

At the European Space Agency’s technical heart in the Netherlands, engineers have spent the last five months unboxing and testing different elements of the spacecraft, and joining the two main parts together. Due to launch by the end of 2025, Smile is now well on its way to being ready for space.

This video provides a glimpse into what we’ve been up to recently. It is the second episode in a series of short videos, and includes interviews with Adriana González Castro (ESA Smile Project Controller), Walfried Raab (ESA Smile Lead Payload Engineer), Sylvain Vey (ESA Smile Instrument and Operations Interface Engineer), Li Jing (CAS Smile Project Manager), Benjamin Vanoutryve (Smile AIT/AIV and Launcher Interface Principal Engineer), and José Ignacio Maestra Onteniente (Airbus Smile AIT Manager).

Credit: ESA/Lightcurve Films

Acknowledgment: Direction, main camera, sound, editing, post-production by Lightcurve Films. Original music by William Zeitler. Drone footage is by The Postboat Dronedepartment.

Unique about Smile is that it will take the first X-ray images and videos of the solar wind slamming into Earth’s protective magnetic bubble, and its complementary ultraviolet images will provide the longest-ever continuous look at the northern lights.

In this first of several short videos, David Agnolon (Smile Project Manager) and Philippe Escoubet (Smile Project Scientist) talk about the why and the how of Smile. You’ll see scenes of the building and testing of the spacecraft’s payload module by Airbus in Madrid, including the installation of one of the European instruments, the Soft X-ray Imager from the University of Leicester.

Smile is a 50–50 collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). ESA provides the payload module of the spacecraft, which carries three of the four science instruments, and the Vega-C rocket which will launch Smile to space. CAS provides the platform module hosting the fourth science instrument, as well as the service and propulsion modules.

Credit: ESA/Lightcurve Films

Acknowledgements: Direction, main camera, sound, editing, post-production by Lightcurve Films. Original music by William Zeitler. Artwork shown in the video is by Eryka Isaak and CAS.

At the European Space Agency’s technical heart in the Netherlands, engineers have spent the last four months carrying out ‘spacecraft environment testing’ – putting Smile through its paces to make sure it is ready for the shaky rocket launch, the vacuum of space and the extreme temperatures it will face in orbit around Earth.

Now all complete, Smile is one step closer to launch in 2026.

This video provides a glimpse into the testing process. It is the third episode in a series of short videos, and includes interviews with David Agnolon (ESA Smile Project Manager), Chris Runciman (ESA Smile System Engineer), Laura Malena Lottes (ESA Smile Mechanical Engineer), Benjamin Vanoutryve (ESA Smile AIT/AIV and Launcher Interface Principal Engineer), Li Jing (CAS Smile Project Manager), He Tau (CAS Smile Mechanical Engineer) and Zhu Xiaofei (CAS Smile Thermal Engineer).

Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Smile is due to launch on a European Vega-C rocket in 2026. Follow the latest mission news via esa.int/smile.

Credit: ESA/Lightcurve Films
Acknowledgements: Direction, main camera, sound, editing, post-production by Lightcurve Films. Original music by William Zeitler.

Links:
Herschel Mission: http://sci.esa.int/herschel
Planck Mission: http://sci.esa.int/planck
Prof. Vincent Icke: http://strw.leidenuniv.nl/~icke/
William Zeitler: http://williamzeitler.com

Production:
The educational DVD with all three films was produced by Lightcurve Films for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German 'Wissenschaft in der Schule'. It was included in a special educational issue of the Sterne und Weltraum magazine about the Herschel and Planck missions.
© ESA 2008; publication authorised by ESA.

Production: The educational DVD with all three films was produced by Lightcurve Films for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German 'Wissenschaft in der Schule'. It was included in a special educational issue of the Sterne und Weltraum magazine about the Herschel and Planck missions. © ESA 2008; publication authorised by ESA.

Links:
Herschel Mission: http://sci.esa.int/herschel
Planck Mission: http://sci.esa.int/planck
Prof. Ewine van Dishoeck: http://strw.leidenuniv.nl/~ewine/
Dr. Floris van der Tak: http://sron.rug.nl/~vdtak/
Martijn Rijerse: http://rijerse.eu

Production:
The educational DVD with all three films was produced by Lightcurve Films for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German 'Wissenschaft in der Schule'. It was included in a special educational issue of the Sterne und Weltraum magazine about the Herschel and Planck missions.
© ESA 2008; publication authorised by ESA.