WASHINGTON, March 5 (Xinhua) -- NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi conducted a 7-hour spacewalk on Friday to install solar array modification kits.
In the fourth spacewalk of the year outside the International Space Station (ISS), the two astronauts successfully completed the installation of modification kits required for upcoming solar array upgrades, according to NASA.
NASA is augmenting six of the eight existing power channels of the ISS with new solar arrays, which will be delivered on SpaceX's 22nd commercial resupply services mission.
The new solar arrays will increase the total available power of the ISS from 160 kilowatts to up to 215 kilowatts, and ensuring sufficient power supply for NASA's exploration technology demonstrations for Artemis and beyond, said NASA.
Space station crew members have conducted 236 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory, according to NASA. Enditem