SMESE: A SMall explorer for solar eruptions

The SMall Explorer for Solar Eruptions (SMESE) mission is a microsatellite proposed by France and China. The payload of SMESE consists of three packages: LYOT (a Lyman alpha imager and alpha Lyman alpha coronagraph), DESIR (an Infra-Red Telescope working at 35-80 and 100-250 mu m), and HEBS (a High-Energy Burst Spectrometer working in X- and gamma-rays). The status of research on flares and coronal mass ejections is briefly reviewed in the context of on-going missions such as SOHO, TRACE and RHESSI. The scientific objectives and the profile of the mission are described. With a launch around 2012-2013, SMESE will provide a unique tool for detecting and understanding eruptions (flares and coronal mass ejections) close to the maximum phase of activity. (c) 2007 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.