ESA's new Envisat satellite is an advanced polar-orbiting Earth observation satellite which will be launched by Ariane 5 at the end of 2001. It carries a package of ten multi-disciplinary instruments to observe the Earth and its atmosphere form space in a synergistic fashion, offering unprecedented opportunities in environmental monitoring and operational Earth observation.
Prior to its launch Envisat had to go through a series of important tests in order to assess that everything will operate nominally on its journey to, and once in, orbit. Test deployments of Envisat's antenna and solar panels are an essential part in the preparation of Envisat before launch.
These rushes filmed in the cleanroom of Hydra at ESA's ESTEC site on 22 September 2000, includes the second lot of tests on the deployment mechanism of the satellites solar panels.

00:00:20 CU part of deployment mechanism, STDU
00:00:50 STDU unlatch
00:01:05 Assesment of unlatch by engineers
00:02:43 STDU re-latch
00:03:17 Assesment of re-latch and alterations to mechanism
00:09:05 Nice CU""s of engineers working on Envisat
00:11:19 Test deployment of middle hinge
00:14:00 Assesment of test deploy
00:14:42 Test deployment of top hinge
00:16:07 Assesment of test deploy
00:17:26 Engineer disucsses this test and the planned future tests (English)
00:20:18 Top hinge retract
00:22:43 MIddle hinge retract
00:25:25 Engineers et al standing watching tests in clean room, includes group shot and statements of names
00:28:31 END