New Solar Panels for the ISS

Construction work is underway at the highest construction site in the world: The International Space Station. In the second extra-vehicular activity of the mission, Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean and American Dan Burbank spent more than seven hours unpacking and testing a rotating arm for the power-generating solar array, which will double the amount of electric power at the space station.

Floating at the far end of the expanding complex, the astronauts worked outside the International Space Station, readying a truss structure that carries giant solar panels. From the station's pressurized lab module, the pair looked like small figures dangling on the sides of a towering building.

While there were breathtaking sights of the two hanging next to each other, Steve MacLean relished the experience and said, "It's an incredibly surreal environment to be in, to be able to just flick your wrist and spin your body around and to be floating effortlessly and moving hand over hand around the outside of this enormous human creation in orbit."

The entire operation was temporarily delayed by a software glitch. However at the end of it, the ISS began to unfurl the two new solar energy arrays which looked like golden wings as its panels unfolded to reflect the sunlight.

A delighted flight commentator Kyle Herring said, “The International Space Station (is) beginning to spread its wings with the first of the two new solar arrays now in the process of being deployed.”

Coming Friday, Ms Piper and Mr Tanner will again go out in space to continue installation of the unit and perform a few other tasks. This will be the final spacewalk of this mission. The shuttle crew is scheduled to be back at Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 20.

NASA has planned 14 more shuttle flights to finish the station before the aging shuttle fleet is retired in 2010.