The solar array upgrade is needed to offset age-related degradation and to provide more power for expanding commercial operations.
In one of the International Space Station's most significant upgrades, two spacewalking astronauts installed a sixth roll-out solar array Thursday in an ongoing $103 million effort to augment the power generated by the lab's aging, original-equipment solar wings.
A camera on spacewalker Woody Hoburg's helmet shows the newly installed roll-out solar array — iROSA — unwinding like a window shade after a problem-free installation on the outboard end of the International Space Station's main power truss. It was the sixth iROSA installed to date in a major upgrade of the lab's aging power system., began Thursday's spacewalk at 8:42 a.m. EDT.
"Woody, congratulations on your second spacewalk," radioed Canadian astronaut Jenni Sidey-Gibbons, the mission control communicator."And Steve, congratulations on your 10th. With this spacewalk, you have tied the American spacewalking record and we are very happy to be a part of this for both of you."The sixth iROSA, installed Thursday, was delivered to the station aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship and then mounted on the right side of the lab's main power truss.
It was a slightly more difficult installation than usual because the station's robot arm did not have the reach to move the iROSA all the way from its pallet to the outboard 1A solar wing work site.
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