BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) - China will actively promote international space cooperation, with the China-Europe SMILE satellite set for launch in 2026, an official of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Friday.

The SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) mission aims to reveal the interaction processes and evolution patterns between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere, Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the CNSA's system engineering department, told a press conference on the upcoming Space Day of China.

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on April 16, 2026 shows Shenzhou-21 astronaut Wu Fei performing extravehicular activities (EVAs) outside China's orbiting space station. (Photo:Xinhua)

The China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) program will continue, extending nearly four-decades of cooperation between the two countries, Liu said.

China-Brazil space cooperation is widely regarded as a model of South-South cooperation in the high-tech sector, with the CNSA and the Brazilian Space Agency having signed multiple cooperation plans.

Initiated in 1988, the CBERS program set a successful precedent for space cooperation among developing countries, serving the socioeconomic development of both nations and effectively advancing their space technology capabilities.

"This year, Brazil has been invited as the guest of honor for Space Day of China. The two sides will deepen their space cooperation, including the planned development of CBERS-06 and the refinement of technical solutions for CBERS-05," Liu said.

In 2025, the jointly developed China-Italy electromagnetic monitoring satellite 02 was successfully launched, providing new technical means and data support for space environment monitoring, according to Liu.

Liu also outlined the events planned for the 11th Space Day of China, to be held around April 24 in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The events will include the opening ceremony, space science exhibitions and cultural forums.

This year's China Space Conference will take place from April 23 to 25, featuring a main forum alongside over 20 academic sessions. A space science and technology exhibition will be held in Chengdu from April 24 to May 5.

Starting in 2016, China chose April 24 as the Space Day of China to mark the launch of its first satellite "Dongfanghong-1" into space on April 24, 1970.