The launch is scheduled for 3:54 p.m. ET on Tuesday (Nov. 22) and you can watch the broadcast here.
In addition to the host of science equipment, Dragon will ferry more solar arrays up to the space station to continue upgrading power on the orbiting complex. The ISS base arrays were installed during the station's first major phase of construction in the early 2000s. Over time, arrays in space naturally degrade, producing less power, and all of the arrays on the ISS are working beyond their 15-year design life.
The two new solar arrays, called iROSAs , are designed to be deployed atop the original arrays to partially overlay the larger, original structures. There are six iROSA installations planned; astronauts have already installed two and mounted hardware for three more during aThe new arrays can generate 20 kilowatts of power and when working with the still-exposed parts of the older arrays they cover, the space station's electricity supply should be boosted by 20% to 30%.
The 2021 spacewalks that installed the first two iROSAs had only minor issues, including bracket interference when unhinging the arrays and small bucklings in the sunshades used to prevent overheating. The two arrays aboard the current mission have a redesigned hinge and stronger sunshades to prevent the problem from happening again, Matt Mickle, Boeing's developmental projects senior manager, told Space.com during the same news conference.
"We've tested those minor modifications on the ground, and ... we are confident that will ensure a better deployment this time," he said. The two currently installed iROSAs, he added, have had slightly better power generated than expected.
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