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Engineers mount the sunshield and solar array module to the rest of ESA\u2019s Plato spacecraft.<\/p>\n
The activities took place in a dedicated cleanroom at ESTEC, ESA\u2019s technical heart in the Netherlands, on 9 September.<\/p>\n
The engineering team suspended the combined sunshield and solar array module using special lifting gear. Then, they manoeuvred the module to precisely align it with the back of the spacecraft and carefully mounted it in place.<\/p>\n
Once in orbit, the solar array will catch light from the Sun to power the spacecraft electronics. The sunshield will keep the scientific equipment in the shadow, protected from the Sun\u2019s glare.<\/p>\n
[Image description:<\/i> Six engineers in a large, bright-white room work on a large satellite. The sides of the satellite\u2019s top part are wrapped in gold thermal blankets; the top is covered with a blue blanket. The bottom part consists of a black boxy structure with several cables running over it].<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n