Source: Xinhua

03-23-2009 10:45

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Astronauts aboard the U.S. space shuttle Discovery unfurled the International Space Station's fourth and final set of solar array wings, bringing the 10-year-old space station to full power, which is critical for boosting science research and allowing the crew to double to six.

Space shuttle Discovery crew member Richard Arnold works outside the international space station during a space walk orbiting Earth, Thursday, March 19, 2009. Astronauts aboard the U.S. space shuttle Discovery  unfurled the International Space Station's fourth and final set of solar array wings, bringing the 10-year-old space station to full power, which is critical for boosting science research and allowing the crew to double to six. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The space station's six solar wings already are in place. The new ones will bring the number to eight, with four on each side.

Each solar array wing has two 115-foot-long (35 meters) arrays, for a total wing span of 240 feet (73 meters), including the equipment that connects the two wings and allows them to twist as they track the sun. Altogether, the station's arrays can generate as much as 120 kilowatts of usable electricity -- enough to provide about forty-two 2,800-square-foot (260 square meters) homes with power.

Two astronauts, Steven Swanson and Richard Arnold, performed the first of three planned spacewalks Thursday and successfully installed the final set of solar array wings. Before concluding their spacewalks, Swanson and Arnold released and removed the locks and cinches holding down the wings, which allows the wings to be unfurled on Friday.

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