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Sensing a Spacecraft's Orientation in Space

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A mechanical technician at APL, in Laurel, Md., places a digital sun sensor onto one of the twin STEREO observatories. Five of these sensors will be placed onboard each spacecraft to detect the angle of the sun in relation to the observatories once they're operating in space. This information will help STEREO mission operations personnel at APL ensure the twin observatories are properly aligned and correctly oriented while capturing stereoscopic images of the sun during the 2-year mission.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory