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Preparing for Comprehensive Performance Tests

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STEREO's "B" observatory (the one that will be placed "behind" Earth in its orbit around the sun) is seen here lying on its side in preparation for the spacecraft's comprehensive performance tests. These tests, conducted while a spacecraft is on the ground, verify that all instruments and onboard systems are working properly.

A "clean tent" - used to provide an even cleaner environment inside space integration facilities - is seen on the right side of the photo covering a portion of the SECCHI (Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation) instrument suite.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory