Over the past year, satellite engineers at Redwire Space in Belgium have been hard at work assembling European Space Agency’s ozone-monitoring satellite, ALTIUS. The team has now passed a major milestone: testing the deployment of the satellite’s two solar panels, a critical step in preparing it for life in orbit.

The deployment test verified that the panels unfold smoothly from their stowed launch configuration and lock securely into place, ensuring structural stability and optimal orientation toward the Sun. Such tests are essential, as the solar arrays are compactly folded to fit inside the rocket and can only be deployed once in orbit.

Read full story: Testing ozone-monitoring satellite’s solar wings