The TERRIERS satellite, built by students at Boston University, ran out of
power shortly after its launch last week. The satellite, which was designed to
obtain the first three-dimensional images of the ionosphere, began losing power
when its solar panels could not be pointed in the correct direction to absorb
energy from the Sun. The spacecraft’s batteries went flat shortly afterwards.
Scientists still hope to regain control of the satellite, however, when the Sun
is at a suitable angle to give the spacecraft a brief charge of power.
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