NASA’s sunshade for the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission, a large protective structure intended for the space telescope, was reviewed in a clean room at BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems in Boulder, Colorado, during July 2026. The review was conducted by a technician, with the sunshade mounted on an assembly ring.
It is an exceptionally large structure: the sunshade stands 20 feet (6 metres) high, while its base is 8 feet (2.4 metres) wide. Such dimensions are crucial for protecting the telescope’s sensitive instruments from solar heat and light during observations of asteroids and other objects near Earth.
The sunshade structure itself was manufactured by Applied Aerospace of Stockton, California. This completed the first part of the production chain, after which the structure was sent for further outfitting.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, SolAero Technologies installed solar cells on the sunshade in January. In addition to its protective function, these will provide the power necessary for the mission’s operation.
Once all components were joined and reviewed, the sunshade underwent a final check in the Boulder clean room in July, where it was placed on the assembly ring. This leaves the structure ready for the next phases of integration with the rest of the spacecraft.
The NEO Surveyor mission is part of NASA’s efforts to track objects approaching Earth, and the large sunshade is one of the key elements that will enable the long-term and stable operation of the telescope in space.
