Space station back to full power, SpaceX launch early Friday
by Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press
Flight controllers completed the repair work Thursday, operating the station's big robot arm by remote control
PHOTO: The International Space Station’s Canadarm2 and Dextre, also known as the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator (SPDM), was used to replace a failed Main Bus Switching Unit and restore full power capability to the station/NASA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The International Space Station is back up at full power, after the successful replacement of a failed electrical box.
Flight controllers completed the repair work Thursday, operating the station’s big robot arm by remote control. It set the stage for an early Friday morning launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, by SpaceX.
NASA delayed this week’s SpaceX delivery, following Monday’s breakdown of one of the station’s original power-switching units, a critical part of the solar energy system. The failure slashed the station’s electrical power by 25%. Once the spare was installed, station power was fully restored.
While the space station and its six astronauts were never in any danger, NASA wanted the outpost at full electrical capability before launching the SpaceX Dragon supply ship.
