NASA has sent spacewalkers to look outside the international space station to find out why the solar power apparatus – which is used to create electricity for all of the life support systems – is damaged. Station Commander – Peggy Whitson and flight engineer – Dan Tani both went out today to find the source.
The excursion, which got under way at 3:50 a.m., took the two astronauts to the base of outstretched solar panels mounted to the right side of the orbital base. The 110 foot long panels can neither track nor aim at the sun as the station orbits the Earth because of two problems. The latest problem surfaced as a sudden electrical power outage on Dec. 8 at the Beta Gimbal Assembly, a mechanism that aims one of two solar panels at the sun. The disruption may have been caused by a blow from a small meteoroid. The aiming mechanism was the first stop on today’s spacewalk, and neither Whitson nor Tani found obvious signs of an impact damage. Whitson unplugged power cables to assist Mission Control with further troubleshooting.
Next, the spacewalkers moved a few feet to a big rotational mechanism that turns the solar panels through a full circle of motion to track the sun. The 10-foot-wide assembly has been crippled since September when it began to vibrate. The cause may be an internal jam or misalignment, station engineers believe.
Whitson and Tani found more of the fine metal debris today as they methodically removed outer protective covers from the rotational gear.The spacewalkers carried mirrors and other tools to probe deep inside the assembly. They used strips of tape to collect metal grit and shavings that will be returned to Earth for analysis.
At one point, Tani became amused at the magnetic properties of the loose shavings. “There is definitely movement. It’s like they are marching,” Tani reported as the debris shifted in response to magnetic forces. “Its like they are alive, like ants.”
Without repairs, the station may not be able to generate enough electricity to add a Japanese science module with multiple shuttle mssions beginning in mid-February. Even with the damage, power levels appear to be sufficient to launch Europe’s Columbus science module.
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