Second Part of Space Station Solar Array Deployment Completed

The deployment of the S6 3B solar array wings resumed 1:11 p.m. EDT and finished at 1:17 p.m. There were no difficulties encountered, the “ripple” area flattened out naturally and the crew and Mission Control report the array extended to its full length of 115 feet.

The length of the 1B and 3B arrays unfurled today measures 240 feet, tip to tip, with the S6 truss in between. The S6 solar array pair adds 9,600 square feet to the station solar arrays, bringing the total surface area to nearly an acre.

The new arrays add enough power-generating capacity to double the electricity available for space station science operations, from 15 to 30 kilowatts. The station’s arrays now will generate as much as 120 kilowatts of usable electricity, enough to power about 42 2,800-square-foot homes.