A March 26, 2026 report stated that the joint CAS–ESA Smile spacecraft had completed pre-launch preparations at Kourou and was connected to Vega-C’s interface ring. CNSA carried the account on March 27, with an April 9 local launch date planned at that time. Smile studies solar-wind interaction with Earth’s magnetosphere using wide-field soft-X-ray imaging and complementary observations. Integration and preparation do not constitute launch completion; the joint team was still checking weather and technical readiness. ESA subsequently confirmed actual liftoff on May 19, retained in a separate launch-stage article. This historical preparation record therefore identifies April 9 as an earlier forecast, not the flight that occurred or a current upcoming event. It neither replaces the later outcome nor copies a source photograph without established reuse rights.