Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) in the next few weeks, astronauts will step out of the air barrier module of the International Space Station and carry out a series of three spacewalks aimed at upgrading the station's aging power system.

The International Space Station uses large solar panels to collect the sun's energy and convert it into usable electricity for life support, temperature control, communication with Earth, and for its propulsion system to enable the space station to avoid space debris.

The old power system of the International Space Station, which contains eight solar cell arrays spread out like wings from outside the space station, has so far been able to meet the power needs of the space station, generating an average of 84 to 120 kilowatts of electricity. However, some of these arrays are more than 20 years old and are originally designed to have a service life of 15 years, so they have shown signs of aging.

This does not mean that the old arrays will suddenly lose power or stop working, but over time, their efficiency is gradually decreasing. And as a large number of increasingly complex scientific experiments are carried out on the space station, the demand for power is also increasing.

CTOnews.com learned that in order to keep up with the power needs of the space station, the International Space Station has been upgrading its power system, including previously replacing batteries. Now, new solar cell arrays need to be added, which is the main purpose of the upcoming spacewalk.

Upgrades to the power system include the addition of six new arrays, which will be placed in front of the old one. The new array is 60 feet (1830 cm) long and 20 feet (610cm) wide and is called "ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays", or iROSA, which is smaller than the old array, which is 112ft (3416 cm) long and 39 feet (1189.5 cm) wide. However, the development of solar panel technology means that the new battery array can generate electricity similar to the original one.

However, adding new arrays is not an easy process. Before adding an iROSA array, you need to install a support structure, called mod kits, outside the space station. The process is mainly divided into two steps, first installing scaffolding, and then installing the array. At present, two new iROSA arrays have been installed on the International Space Station. The scaffolding of the other two is ready, and the last two will be installed soon, starting with the upcoming spacewalk on November 15. It will be the first ever spacewalk for NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio.

The next two spacewalks are tentatively scheduled for November 28 and December 1, and then two more arrays will be installed on the existing scaffolding, with the aim of installing all six arrays and putting them into use by the middle of next year.

The new solar array will be folded up and delivered during the SpaceX CRS-26 supply mission launched on November 18. The array will then be installed, integrated into the power system, and deployed. In order to integrate with the power system, space walkers need to install Y-shaped cables to connect the new and old arrays to the power system.

NASA says the new arrays are being tested for possible use in future missions, such as the Artemis moon program, and to help the space station continue to operate. As for the space station, its exact future is still unclear. Although NASA announced at the end of last year that it intended to continue to operate the International Space Station until 2030.

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