spacetoday.net: New ISS solar panel deployed

New ISS solar panel deployed

Posted: Thu, Sep 14, 2006, 9:26 PM ET (0126 GMT)
STS-115: panel deployment (NASA)

A new set of solar panels installed on the International Space Station earlier this week by the current shuttle mission successfully deployed Thursday. The panels, part of the P3/P4 truss segment added to the station this week, slowly unfurled on Thursday under command. The panels, 72 meters long, were fully deployed by 8:44 am EDT (1244 GMT). The deployment came after a pair of spacewalks on Tuesday and Wednesday that set up the truss segment, delivered to the station by the shuttle Atlantis. One more spacewalk foe the STS-115 mission is scheduled for Friday. Atlantis is scheduled to undock from the ISS on Sunday and return to Earth on Wednesday.