Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
The nearly identical twin STEREO spacecraft were assembled at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), in Laurel, Md., during a process known as integration. Integration typically begins when the wiring harness and the primary structure, or frame of a spacecraft, are assembled. Like the frame of a house, the spacecraft's frame, or structure, is what the instruments, solar panels, and other parts within the spacecraft are attached to. STEREO's integration was completed and environmental tests began in October 2005.
For a more in-depth look at various stages of the integration phase, click on the following:
