spacetoday.net: Spacewalkers begin rewiring ISS power system

Posted: Fri, Dec 15, 2006, 7:36 AM ET (1236 GMT)
STS-116: EVA #2 (NASA)

Two astronauts started the process of reconfiguring the station's power supply during an EVA Thursday. STS-116 astronauts Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang spent exactly five hours outside the ISS on a spacewalk that started at 3:41 pm EST (2041 GMT), with the primary purpose of reconfiguring the station's electrical system from its current temporary setup to a permanent configuration that will support new solar arrays that will be added on future missions. The astronauts completed work on two of four power channels, as planned; the other two channels will be reconfigured on a spacewalk Saturday. The two also moved a pair of small handcarts located on the station's truss and performed a few miscellaneous tasks, working ahead of schedule and wrapping up work an hour early. The third and final scheduled STS-116 EVA is planned for Saturday, although NASA is still considering a fourth EVA to completely stow a solar panel that failed to completely retract automatically on Wednesday. Astronauts will make an additional effort Friday to stow the panel before resorting to another EVA.