NASA's STEREO Mission: A Quest to Learn More About the Sun

[Judi Lynn]

By Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com Contributor | February 8, 2019 03:50pm ET

NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) has been studying the sun for over a decade. The mission was originally composed of two nearly identical spacecraft, but lost one in 2014. The remaining satellite continues to make in-depth observations of the sun. The mission has provided a wealth of information about our nearest star.

A two-year mission
Launched on Oct. 25, 2006, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the two golf-cart-size telescopes shared a single rocket into space. STEREO Ahead (A) entered an orbit around the sun slightly smaller than Earth, moving faster than our planet, while STEREO Behind (B) moved slightly slower than Earth while following a larger orbit around the sun.

"The separation of the two spacecraft has given us a unique multi-point perspective on solar activity on the sun and inner heliosphere simultaneously," NASA said.

More:
https://www.space.com/43274-stereo-mission.html

[Igel]

1. I always liked STEREO.

At one point there were 3D glasses you could wear to watch the videos that they composited 3D-style.