Six iROSA solar arrays in the planned configuration will augment the power drawn from the existing arrays on the International Space Station. French and American astronauts will on Wednesday go on the first of two spacewalks this week to upgrade the International Space Station’s power supply. Thomas Pesquet from the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s Shane Kimbrough will venture out of the ISS at around 14:00 CEST on Wednesday and Sunday (June 20). Each spacewalk, streamed by the ESA and NASA, will last approximately six hours and 30 minutes. Pesquet will be wearing a suit with red stripes and the French tricolour while Kimbrough’s suit will be adorned with the US flag. NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Mark Vande will remain inside the ISS and operate the long robotic arm that will move Pesquet and Kimbrough to their worksites. The aim of this week’s spacewalks is to install the first two of six new solar arrays (systems of multiple solar panels) to boost the station’s power supply — the current solar arrays still work but are nearing the end of their 15-year lifespan. The new solar arrays, which were moved into position on June 10, will be placed […]
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