NASA: Space station work 81% complete as solar arrays unfurled
Ten years after its construction began, the International Space Station now has full power capability.
Mission controllers commanded the unfurling on Friday of the platform’s fourth and final pair of solar arrays.
The huge solar wings had been delivered to the ISS by the Discovery shuttle and installed by its astronauts with the help of the station’s robotic arm.
When taken up to full capacity, the station’s arrays should now generate as much as 120 kilowatts of electricity.
The addition of the final set of solar wings will double the amount of power available for scientific experiments aboard the station – from 15kW to 30kW.
I am often amazed how in space we can have an international effort powered almost entirely by clean energy while down here on earth those same nations struggle against each other and we are drowning in our own muck.
Maybe we should relocate the United Nations to the ISS.
I hope Indonesia will have to take a part immediately.
good jobs !
btw, they only consume 30kW of energy? Wow!
I thought the level already in MW !
I guess its the only option. I can hardly imagine them filling it up with petrol