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Turning a solar power system into its own backup
· Confirmed
In Short: The arrays' design incorporates a fossil-fueled backup system that shares most of the generating hardware with the solar side, making it a versatile and reliable power source.
NASA astronauts Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk concluded a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on October 20, 2026, at 3:08 p.m. EDT, after successfully installing new solar arrays that boost the station's power generation capability.
The spacewalk began earlier that day, and four hours and 23 minutes later, Menon used a power tool to unbolt a final restraint, allowing the International Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) to unroll and stretch out to its full length of 60 feet in about 10 minutes.
According to Gaurang Patel, operations integration manager for NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, these roll-out arrays increase the station's power generation capability up to 30 percent.
Concentrated solar, also known as solar thermal, is a technology that uses mirrors to focus sunlight and convert it into heat, which can then be used to drive traditional generating turbines.
The new arrays are part of a broader effort to enhance the station's power supply, which is crucial for supporting ongoing scientific research and operations.
While most photovoltaic solar panels available for installation are either monocrystalline or polycrystalline and made out of silicon, the IROSA arrays are designed to provide a more robust and flexible power generation solution.
The main advantage of installing a solar plus storage energy system is that it gives the space station the ability to use solar electricity even when the sun isn’t shining, ensuring a continuous power supply.
The space station's new solar arrays are designed to be adaptable, allowing them to run on either stored solar heat or combustion, providing a backup in case of significant shortfalls in renewable generation.
NASA awarded contracts worth a combined $17.5 million to BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman in May to advance key stabilizing technology for the observatory, supporting these upgrades.
The air coming out of the heat exchanger is still quite hot, around 250°C, and can be directed to various applications, including industrial processes and absorption cooling.
The new arrays are part of a broader trend in renewable energy technology, where systems are designed to be more resilient and adaptable, ensuring a continuous power supply even during adverse conditions.
What this adds
The installation of the new solar arrays marks a significant step in enhancing the International Space Station's power generation capabilities, providing a more robust and flexible energy solution.
What's confirmed
- NASA astronauts Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk concluded a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on October 20, 2026, at 3:08 p.m. EDT, after successfully installing new solar arrays that boost the station's power generation capability.
- The spacewalk began earlier that day, and four hours and 23 minutes later, Menon used a power tool to unbolt a final restraint, allowing the International Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) to unroll and stretch out to its full length of 60 feet in about 10 minutes.
- According to Gaurang Patel, operations integration manager for NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, these roll-out arrays increase the station's power generation capability up to 30 percent.
- Concentrated solar, also known as solar thermal, is a technology that uses mirrors to focus sunlight and convert it into heat, which can then be used to drive traditional generating turbines.
- The new arrays are part of a broader effort to enhance the station's power supply, which is crucial for supporting ongoing scientific research and operations.
- While most photovoltaic solar panels available for installation are either monocrystalline or polycrystalline and made out of silicon, the IROSA arrays are designed to provide a more robust and flexible power generation solution.
- The main advantage of installing a solar plus storage energy system is that it gives the space station the ability to use solar electricity even when the sun isn’t shining, ensuring a continuous power supply.
- The space station's new solar arrays are designed to be adaptable, allowing them to run on either stored solar heat or combustion, providing a backup in case of significant shortfalls in renewable generation.
- NASA awarded contracts worth a combined $17.5 million to BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman in May to advance key stabilizing technology for the observatory, supporting these upgrades.
- The air coming out of the heat exchanger is still quite hot, around 250°C, and can be directed to various applications, including industrial processes and absorption cooling.
- The new arrays are part of a broader trend in renewable energy technology, where systems are designed to be more resilient and adaptable, ensuring a continuous power supply even during adverse conditions.
What's still developing
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