At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville Fla. the two STEREO spacecraft are being prepared for installation of the solar arrays.

At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., the two STEREO spacecraft are being prepared for installation of the solar arrays. In the foreground is spacecraft "B," sitting as it would on the rocket. Pointing to the right is the high gain antenna (HGA), which is used to get science data at high data rates back to Earth. In the background is the "A" observatory, rotated horizontally on a Ransome table so that its HGA is pointing upward. The black circle facing forward is the primary instrument Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI), a suite of remote sensing instruments to image solar flares, with a protective cover that is removed before flight. STEREO consists of two spacecraft whose mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-D. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. Preparations are under way for a liftoff aboard a Delta rocket no earlier than July 22. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton