A sophisticated X-ray telescope designed and built in the UK is moving closer to space, marking a significant milestone for European and international space science. The instrument, developed under the leadership of the University of Leicester, is scheduled to launch next spring as part of the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) mission.
SMILE is a joint venture between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and will provide the first global view of how Earth’s magnetic environment responds to the constantly changing flow of particles and energy from the Sun.
The mission has recently completed a demanding 10-month Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) phase at ESTEC, ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands. With testing now complete, SMILE is preparing for launch between 8 April and 7 May aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport.
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A new way of seeing Earth’s magnetic shield
At the core of SMILE’s science capability is the Soft X-ray Imager (SXI), a wide-field telescope that will observe Earth’s magnetosphere — the vast, invisible magnetic shield that protects the planet from the solar wind. Using innovative micropore X-ray optics, SXI will be able to track the shape, position and motion of the boundaries of this shield in unprecedented detail.
SXI is the first space instrument to be completed using the specialist facilities at Space Park Leicester, where teams integrated and tested the flight hardware inside a purpose-built cleanroom.
Dr Steven Sembay, SMILE SXI Principal Investigator at the University of Leicester, highlighted the challenge of delivering such a compact yet capable instrument:
“SXI is a powerful but compact X-ray telescope that has been challenging to design within the constraints on size, mass, and the demanding space environment imposed by the SMILE mission.
Successfully completing the intensive Assembly, Integration and Testing phase is a major achievement and a clear reflection of the dedication and technical skill of our university-based engineers here in the UK, as well as the outstanding support from our international consortium. With the launch window now confirmed, it is incredibly exciting to see SXI one step closer to orbit and to the groundbreaking science it will soon deliver.”
UK expertise at the heart of an international mission
The SXI instrument has been developed through a major collaboration between the University of Leicester, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, and The Open University, alongside several European partners. UK engineers delivered key subsystems including the main telescope structure, X-ray optics, detector system and readout electronics.
Beyond its technical achievements, SMILE addresses a growing practical concern: space weather. Disturbances driven by the Sun can disrupt satellites, radio communications and even terrestrial power grids. Understanding how these effects originate and evolve is essential for protecting modern infrastructure.
Dr Jennifer Carter from the University of Leicester School of Physics and Astronomy explained the mission’s scientific importance:
“Our Earth is protected from the solar wind by its magnetic field, which acts like a shield. SMILE will transform our understanding of this highly dynamic magnetosphere.
SXI will image this magnetic shield, whilst a different camera will take ultraviolet pictures of aurora in the Northern Hemisphere. For the first time ever, we will see how changes to this shield cause effects in the upper atmosphere at the same time.”
Investment in science with impact on Earth
The development and delivery of SXI has been supported by around £13 million in funding from the UK Space Agency, underlining the UK’s strategic investment in space technology and scientific leadership.
As SMILE moves towards launch, the completion of the SXI telescope represents a landmark moment for Space Park Leicester and for the University of Leicester’s space science community. Once in orbit, SMILE is expected to open an entirely new window on how the Sun influences Earth — knowledge that will be vital for both scientific discovery and the protection of critical space-based and ground-based systems.
