Astronauts Complete Space Station Solar Power Upgrade

The final array was attached to the station’s power truss, completing an upgrade effort that began in 2021. The new panel was installed on the far-right, or starboard, side of the truss, where the station’s robotic arm could not carry it directly. Menon and Kutryk passed the array between them to move it to the installation site after retrieving it from temporary storage.

The astronauts secured the panel to a mounting bracket and connected its power and data lines. Flight controllers then detected lower-than-expected electrical current. The crew waited until the station passed into Earth’s shadow, allowing them to inspect the connectors safely, and resolved the problem before deployment.

The array unfurled to its full length of 63 feet, using stored energy in its composite booms rather than a motor. The spacewalk began at 8:36 a.m. and ended at 3:35 p.m., lasting six hours and 59 minutes.

The new arrays supplement the station’s original solar wings, whose output has diminished after more than two decades in orbit. Before the upgrades, those wings produced about 160 kilowatts; the completed system is expected to provide roughly 215 kilowatts. Menon said the new arrays are smaller than the originals and provide 40% more power.

The additional electricity is intended to support station operations through its planned retirement and controlled descent from orbit in late 2030. The installation was the final step in a series of eight array deployments beginning in June 2021.