astronauts complete final solar panel upgrade on space station

CBS News reported that astronauts completed the installation of the eighth and final roll-out solar array on the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, marking the culmination of a five-year effort to upgrade the station's power system.

The upgrade began in 2021 with the installation of the first roll-out solar array, known as IROSA, to augment the aging original solar wings. Six additional panels were installed in subsequent spacewalks, with the most recent installation occurring last week.

The final two IROSAs were delivered to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule earlier in the month, stowed folded in the ship's unpressurized trunk. The station's robotic arm positioned the panels on the power truss for installation.

Due to reach limitations of the Canadarm II robotic arm, astronauts Anil Menon and Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk hand-delivered the last panel to the far right end of the station's power truss. They unfolded, bolted, and connected the new solar array during orbital darkness to avoid interference from sunlight.

This final installation boosts the ISS's power output to compensate for degradation of the original solar arrays, ensuring continued operation of the station's systems.