Science and Tech

Complete the partial change of solar panels on the Space Station

A view of the deployment of the new ISS solar array


A view of the deployment of the new ISS solar array -NASA TV

June 16 () –

Two NASA astronauts deployed the sixth and final (for now) set of improved solar arrays to the International Space Station, increasing your energy supply.

This June 15, Warren “Woody” Hoburg and Stephen Bowen completed in 5 hours and 35 minutes their second joint extravehicular activity (EVA) in just under a week to deploy two new iROSA solar arrays, bringing the installed total to 6, reports NASA.

Each iROSA measures 18.2 by 6 meters. When deployed, each overlaps its corresponding legacy solar array by slightly more than half. Since each one produces more than 20 kilowatts of electricity, with six new devices installed, the station now is capable of a 30% increase in power production alone over the station’s legacy panels.

It took two years, minus one day, to implement all six iROSA suites, with the first rolling out on June 16, 2021.

NASA and Boeing have a plan for a fourth pair of deployment sets to further increase the power supplied to the International Space Station. These sets, which would be the seventh and eighth to be installed, are intended to be delivered to the orbiting laboratory by 2025, reports Space.com.



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