Smile unboxed 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: We are inside a large room in a technical facility, with high ceilings, white walls, and red doors. At the centre of the room, we see a golden spacecraft sat on a white platform structure. Four people wearing blue overalls and white helmets crouch around the spacecraft; they appear to be tightening some stabilisers at the bottom of the platform.]