Abstract: In a presently preferred embodiment of this invention a spacecraft includes at least four thermal radiator panels, with a first pair of said panels being initially stowed along a North facing surface of said spacecraft and a second pair of said panels being initially stowed along a South facing surface of said spacecraft. Each of said panels is coupled to a hinge mechanism at an anti-Earth facing end of said spacecraft and is rotatable by said hinge mechanism from a stowed position to a deployed position. The deployed position is a position that is off of the anti-Earth facing end of the spacecraft. In the presently preferred embodiment of this invention, when in the deployed position a longitudinal axis of each of said panels forms a non-zero angle with an Earth-pointing axis of said spacecraft.