The industrial engineering and technology group Sener has taken part in the Smile mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), scheduled for launch on Tuesday, 19 April.

The mission aims to improve understanding of the interaction between the Sun and the Earth by observing the Earth’s magnetic field in X-rays and identifying where and how the solar wind interacts with the planet’s magnetic shield. Smile will also study auroras globally in ultraviolet light to better understand how the Earth responds to solar wind, enabling continuous observation of the Northern Lights for 45 hours straight—a first for a space mission.

In addition, Smile (whose name is derived from the acronym for “Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer”) will help deepen understanding of solar storms and the disturbances they cause on Earth. A better understanding of space weather science is essential to ultimately protect both space-based technology and the safety of any humans in orbit around the Earth.

Sener’s role in the mission

Sener contributed to the mission by developing one of its communications antennas, the X-band receiver antenna. This antenna is responsible for receiving signals sent to the spacecraft and forms part of its payload module.

Sener’s work covered the full process: from design and manufacturing through to final testing to ensure proper performance. The antenna is designed to operate across the full required frequency range (8.025–8.4 GHz), with the necessary mechanical pointing capability integrated directly into the antenna support structure.

Its thermal control system is entirely passive, requiring no active mechanisms, thanks to the use of white paint on its external surfaces to help regulate temperature in space.

For the test campaigns, a dedicated ‘test cap’ was designed and manufactured that made it possible to verify the antenna’s behaviour under real conditions.

The antenna design comprises a radiating element, a septum polariser and a waveguide-to-SMA connector transition.