NASA Turning to Exercise to 'Wiggle' Out of Space Station Solar Power Problem
Dec. 15, 2006 -- Will a squat set up a wiggle on the International Space Station?
How many squats does it take to solve the space station's sticky solar array dilemma?
A few dozen? A few hundred? Some of the brightest minds in the space program are running the numbers.
The problem is a solar array that helps provide power for the International Space Station. This particular set of solar arrays has to be folded up to prevent the new rotating solar arrays installed during the last shuttle flight from crashing into each other.
So far enough panels have retracted to allow the new solar wing to start rotating like a big windmill and track the sun to create enough power to run the space station.
The solar arrays must be fully retracted sometimes, though, so engineers have been burning the midnight oil trying to solve that problem.
One solution they will try today is to jump-start the retraction process again.
If that doesn't work, then the next option is to make the space station crew line up and start exercising -- specifically doing squats.
One bright person in Mission Control noticed that when astronaut Leroy Chiao used the IRED (NASA's language for interim resistive exercise device) a couple of years ago, he sent a vibration through the space station that caused the solar arrays to ripple -- a low amplitude frequency response.
When Chiao did this, the response from Mission Control was "knock it off."
So on Thursday when all these bright engineers were brainstorming for solutions, someone remembered Chiao's squats on the IRED.
While it may seem silly, it's really quite simple. Start a vibration that may wiggle the solar array loose.
"I may just have the space station crew and the shuttle crew all line up and see who can shake it loose," said Mike Suffredini, the International Space Station program manager.
Squats would be a much safer solution, according to Suffredini. If the exercise doesn't work, then he will have to consider sending two astronauts out on a fourth, unplanned spacewalk to manually fold the solar array.
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