More Solar Panel Problems For ISS

rufey writes "This week there have been two pieces of bad news from the International Space Station. First was the discovery of metal shavings inside a problematic rotary joint used to keep one set of solar panels in the optimal position for power generation. At the close of a subsequent spacewalk, after it was relocated to its permanent location, the unfurling of the 4B solar panel resulted in it tearing in two places. A spacewalk is now planned for November 4th to attempt to fix the tear. The upcoming spacewalk is not without risks, including the remote possibility of electrocution since it is impossible to stop the solar panel from generating electricity during the repair attempt. NASA says the ripped wing needs to be fixed or the solar rotary joint problem solved before any more shuttles can fly to the space station and continue construction. With a hard deadline of 2010 for Shuttle retirement, NASA does not have much wiggle room in the schedule in order to finish ISS construction."

Because....

[iknownuttin]

Because there's shavings in the rotary joint?

If there were an easy way to fix this, NASA would have figured it out. Don't forget, these fix rovers millions of miles away by changing computer code. I'm sure any suggestion here on /. has been thought of already.

D'oh!

[PHAEDRU5]

Good luck to them. I hope all goes well, the repair is made, and nobody gets hurt.

That bit about not being able to take it down for repair, well, that's going to make it into some future book on industrial design. Oh, and into future space stations. I hope.

Irrelevant to my point.

[iknownuttin]

It doesn't matter. My point is the NASA folks are pretty bright people who have the ability to fix their stuff. And it amazed me that they can fix their stuff from a distance by changing computer code - regardless of what project it was.

And I know there's going to be a ton of posts implying that the NASA folks should have thought of [insert idea here]. Of course they did.

Re:D'oh!

[everphilski]

That bit about not being able to take it down for repair, well, that's going to make it into some future book on industrial design.

Pray tell, short of covering the solar array from view of the sun, how do you stop solar cells from generating electricity? It is a passive electricity generating device, not an active one (like a fuel cell or a conventional gas-powered generator). As long as it has a sufficient view factor of a light source, it generates electricity.

Re:Impossible to stop the solar panel from generat

[Anonymous Coward]

Mod parent insightful, not funny, as it is valid question, and was indeed asked ("why not limit the the repair time to night passes") on yesteray's NASA's mission status briefing. The response was that sacrificing basicly spending half of the spacewalk to do nothing is not worth the added safety - note that the 'electrocution' mentioned is very extreme case, as the panels itselves are coated with insulation, the tools are insulated etc, but as they spend years in space and were damaged, there is concern that there *might* be some scratch in the coating or anything, that *may* conduct, and it *may* touch some of the EVA equipment, and that *may* conduct through the electronics (the space suit is full of sensors and stuff that touch the body), and it *may* go through the heart of the astronaut, and in really really extreme case that *may* end up with electrocution. Of course that word was immeidately picked up by the press, and it ended up with the staff saying that if on of the reporter in the room leaned back to his microphone, that there is about equal chance he may be electrocuted.

Re:Irrelevant to my point.

[fbjon]

The plug might be behind the dishwasher, in which case it is not immediately obvious, and definitely not a trivial solution.

Space Station = Waste of Money?

[deboli]

Many here voice their opinion that the space station os a waste of money. This solar panel incident has vindicated the ISS supporters: Testing such technologies in low earth orbit is a needed. You would not want to experience that on an interplanetary flight.

We may not necessarily develop new technologies but engineers can test solutions "in the field" and hone the skills needed to develop working solutions for voyages where no rescue/repair is possible.