Herschel solar array mounting

This picture was taken on 11 April 2008 at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), in the Netherlands, during the mounting of the solar array of the Herschel spacecraft.

The array is shaped around the central cryostat to provide both extended shielding of the cryostat from the sun and the electrical power needed for the mission. The solar array provides the spacecraft with 1900 W of power.