Following the news that a vital joint on one of its solar power arrays appears to be gently tearing itself apart, a rip has been found in a new panel being installed on the international space station. This leaves just one set of panels problem free on the power hungry station (AFP, AP, BBC, NY Times).

NASA halted deployment of the new, third, array after the damage was spotted (statement). Deployment was about 80% complete at the time. The panel is continuing to supply 97% of the power that it should, according to news reports, suggesting given its 80% deployment it is providing about 78% of its possible supply. Keeping the panels partly extended could cause additional problems, as they are not designed to operate in that position

The station has panels attached in arrays on both sides. Joints allow these to rotate and face the sun. One side is already locked down after astronauts found metal shavings inside its joint. Now the other side, where the new array was being added, has been hit with what we can prematurely call the curse of the ISS panels.

Mike Suffredini, ISS program manager, apparently came up with the not-entirely reassuring statement that these problems aren’t as serious as the computer glitches that bugged the station last year (Space.com). “I have in my mind a path through the wilderness on both of these problems. It will take time, but I have a path through the wilderness,” he said. Readers with long memories may be reminded of Skylab’s problems back in the 70s when only heroic work managed to fix the damaged sustained during launch, which included the total loss of a main solar panel

UPDATE – 01/11/07

NASA is leaving the joint problem well alone to focus on the torn array and things to do not look good (NASA statement). They can’t leave it alone and they can’t just extend it. Suffredini is now talking about jettisoning the whole array if it can’t be repaired (NY Times, Houston Chronicle). Appropriately the Houston Chronicle has a photo of flight engineer Clayton Anderson wearing a deathly black cape (for Halloween) as he works aboard the space station. The Chronicle also has a nice editorial on the ‘can do’ attitude of those now called upon to be engineers, builders, and electricians in space.

Image: damaged solar array wing / NASA TV