This photo taken on May 18, 2026 shows a Vega-C rocket carrying the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) at the Kourou launch center in French Guiana.  (Photo by Ricardo Montoya/Xinhua)

Aschbacher acknowledged that the mission faced complex challenges. However, thanks to the joint efforts of over 250 European and Chinese scientists working together on scientific objectives, instrument development, and other key aspects, the project was successfully completed.

European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher has spoken highly of the China-Europe SMILE mission, saying it demonstrates that well-governed international scientific cooperation can deliver real value that benefits the global scientific community.

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), a joint mission between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and ESA, was successfully launched on Tuesday aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. The satellite will improve understanding of solar storms, geomagnetic storms and the science of space weather.

Aschbacher said in a recent interview with Xinhua that ESA and China have a long-standing record of cooperation, from early data-sharing arrangements in the 1990s to today's collaboration focused primarily on Earth science and space science.

In this cooperation, Europe was involved in the development of the payload module and the Soft X-ray Imager among other work. The CAS was responsible for the Ultraviolet Imager and the platform.

Aschbacher acknowledged that the mission faced complex challenges. However, thanks to the joint efforts of over 250 European and Chinese scientists working together on scientific objectives, instrument development, and other key aspects, the project was successfully completed.

This photo taken on May 18, 2026 shows a view of the Kourou launch center in French Guiana. (Photo by Ricardo Montoya/Xinhua)

He also noted that the open and responsible model of Europe-China cooperation, grounded in clear scientific benefits, could be applied to issues of global public interest, such as climate change.

"It is in everyone's interest for scientific teams to work together using data from both Chinese and European satellites. The way we monitor climate change from space directly shapes our understanding of what is happening on Earth and how we can better protect our planet, including by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and limiting global warming," he said.

On future China-Europe cooperation, he said "we always consider potential opportunities for further collaboration in areas such as Earth and space science."

A Vega-C rocket carrying the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) blasts off at the Kourou launch center in French Guiana, May 19, 2026. (European Space Agency/Handout via Xinhua)