Power for a satellite. View of some of the solar cells on the side of the Meteosat 6 satellite. Banks of solar cells provide electricity for almost al

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Power for a satellite. View of some of the solar cells on the side of the Meteosat 6 satellite. Banks of solar cells provide electricity for almost all satellites and spacecraft. The cells are either fitted to the body (as here) or in large solar panels. Satellites also carry batteries for periods when they move through the Earth's shadow. Meteosat 6 has six body-mounted panels of solar cells, generating 300 Watts of electricity. Meteosat 6 is the third operational model in the series of European meteorology satellites, and is due for launch in late 1993.

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Size: 3419px × 4139px
Photo credit: © DAVID PARKER/ESA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 6, cell, cells, electricity, energy, environmentally, friendly, generation, green, industry, meteosat, panel, power, renewable, satellite, solar, sun, technology