Astronauts outfitted the International Space Station with the first in a series of powerful new solar panels on Sunday, overcoming suitability issues and other obstacles with muscle and perseverance.
It took two space trips for French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbra to install and dismantle the 63-foot (19-meter) panel.
The solar wings unfold like a red carpet after the last set of screws are released, relying solely on pent-up energy. The slow, steady rollout took 10 minutes, with the station’s camera provided to watch live TV.
“It’s beautiful,” Pesquet exclaimed.
“Well done you two,” Mission Control replied after the operation was over. “It was great to see him.”
The astronauts began their spacewalk Sunday from where they left off on Wednesday, when a series of problems prevented them from opening their high-tech solar panels.
“Remember: today you are a two-headed butterfly,” said astronaut Megan MacArthur from inside.
After pushing and pulling, the astronauts were able to open and align the solar panels so that the two halves are now facing each other, similar to a roll of tissue. Their screams “Woo hoo!” He was greeted with applause at Mission Control.
The two must wait until they return to Earth’s night side — the station’s old solar panels no longer absorb sunlight and generate electricity — before making a final electrical connection. Otherwise, they might be surprised.
While waiting in the dark, the camera and light on Kimbrough’s helmet came off, though he changed to a different suit to avoid the trouble he encountered last time. Pesquet does his best to secure it with wire ties, over time. His efforts paid off, and the final step – true collapse – went without a hitch.
This new solar pavilion – with five more to come – will give the old station a much-needed power boost, as demand for space experiences and tourists grows.
NASA initially commissioned two spacewalks for this mission – one for each solar panel installed. But the directors added a third spacewalk, considering all the previous problems. Pesquet and Kimbrough will return on Friday to complete work on the second panel presented by Space X earlier this month.
This first pair will add to the space station’s older solar wing, which is deteriorating after 20 years of continuous operation.
SpaceX will introduce a few more next year.
Although the new solar panels provided by Boeing are smaller than the original version, they can generate more power. The space station needs to be revitalized if NASA hopes to continue operating the space station for the rest of the decade, with special guests paying millions of dollars to board it.
A Russian camera crew will set off for a tropical location this fall from Kazakhstan, followed by a string of wealthy businessmen. SpaceX offers flights from Cape Canaveral.
On Wednesday, the onscreen control panel on Kimbrough’s suit locked and he had to return to the air lock to reset it. Then the cooling system registers a temporary pressure rise. Engineers are still assessing what went wrong.
Kimbra tweeted last week: “Space is tough.”
