Smile arrives at Europe's Spaceport

Following a two-week journey from the Netherlands, the Maritime Nantaise Colibri cargo ship carrying the Smile spacecraft docked in Kourou, French Guiana on Thursday 26 February.

Smile was then unloaded, transported to Europe's Spaceport, and then unpacked. During the coming weeks, the spacecraft will go through final preparations for its launch on a Vega-C rocket between 8 April and 7 May.

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Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

[Image description: In the foreground, we see a lorry carrying a white container. The lorry is driving along a road that is the entrance to Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. In the background, we see a white rocket behind many flags on flagpoles. There is a small building on the right and several cars parked next to the road.]