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Harnessing the Sun's Energy

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STEREO will not only see the sun, but will harness its energy to help power the twin spacecraft and their subsystems throughout the mission. Positioned like wings on a plane, these solar arrays have panels that absorb the sun's energy.

The total mass of each observatory is closely monitored throughout integration. Various parts and instruments are weighed prior to their installation. Here, engineers weigh each of the solar panels to ensure they meet their design specifications.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory