Space station gets set of solar wings
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The International Space Station’s newest power source -- a set of solar wings -- has been successfully deployed, space agency officials said in Houston.
The solar array is part of a 17.5-ton segment that was connected to the station during a spacewalk. It was brought up by the shuttle Atlantis.
The solar wings were deployed one at a time, first halfway unfurled and allowed to warm in the sun about 30 minutes. This prevented the solar panels from sticking together.
Each solar wing is 115 feet long and weighs more than 2,400 pounds. The solar array’s total wingspan is more than 240 feet. The array converts sunlight to electricity.
Meanwhile, NASA managers were trying to figure out how to repair a peeled-back thermal blanket near the tail of the shuttle. They said they had ruled out using duct tape.
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