International Space Station don finish solar-power upgrade wey start more than five years ago. On 5 November, NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk install and open di eighth and last roll-out solar array. Both agencies report say dem don finish di work after di spacewalk, so dem confirm say di work don happen, no be plan only.
Di two astronauts spend six hours and 59 minutes outside di station, and finish by 3:35 p.m. US Eastern Standard Time. Dem fit di last array to di 3B power channel for di station starboard truss. NASA say di work, wey start for February 2021, need 18 spacewalks to prepare equipment and install all eight arrays.
NASA report say all di arrays together raise di station capacity to generate power from 160 kilowatts to about 215 kilowatts. Na increase of about 55 kilowatts. These figures describe electrical power capacity, no be amount of energy wey dem supply for one day. Di last installation finish dis particular expansion; e no mean say all maintenance work for di station don end.
Di work still depend on colleagues inside di station and for Earth. Di Canadian agency say NASA astronauts Luke Delaney and Jessica Watkins operate Canadarm2 to help di spacewalkers. Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons handle communication as capcom for Johnson Space Center, while robotics teams for Houston and Longueuil monitor di arm and how e move.
Di Canadian agency say di extra power support more scientific research and wider operations for di station. E also say experience with di technology fit help solar systems for future missions. Dat na possible future use of di engineering knowledge, different from di hardware installation wey dem confirm on Thursday. Kutryk earlier spacewalk with Menon happen on 29 October.
Wetin e mean for you. Nigerian readers wey follow solar technology fit see clear difference between upgrade wey dem promise and engineering work wey don finish. Di extra power serve research station wey dey orbit Earth; no be electricity wey dem dey supply Nigerian homes. Di lesson be say capacity to generate power, installation and di work wey di power fit support connect, but dem be different ways to measure progress.