For decades, NASA has used solar power to explore near and far –
from studying life on Earth to powering spacecraft across the solar system.
Here are five ways NASA has harnessed the power of the Sun.
Parker Solar Probe flies closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before.
Its solar arrays create electricity to power and move
the spacecraft's heat shield, protecting it from the Sun's intense heat.
On the surface of the Red Planet,
the Sun powered the rotors of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.
These were the first-ever powered, controlled flights on another planet,
and will pave the way for future flights in our solar system.
Closer to home, six Roll-Out Solar Arrays on the International Space Station
make life in low Earth orbit possible
by powering things like scientific payloads and life support systems.
Also in low Earth orbit,
the PACE satellite uses solar power to run its scientific instruments,
including the Ocean Color Instrument, which studies ocean health.
On the ground,
solar panels propelled GROVER across the Greenland Ice Sheet
to study how it gains and loses ice over time.
The rover's solar panels were positioned to collect
light directly from the Sun, as well as rays reflected off the ice.
These are just a few of the ways solar energy has been and continues
to be a vital force for NASA's explorations of our world and beyond.