KSC-06pd1146

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., final processing is underway on the STEREO spacecraft. Here, technicians perform a final cleaning of the Heliospheric Imager (HI) instrument prior to closing for flight. The HI is part of the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) package of four instruments that will study the 3-D evolution of coronal mass ejections, from birth at the Sun's surface through the corona and interplanetary medium to its eventual impact at Earth. 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