NASA has awarded Boeing a $68.4 million contract to modify the International Space Station to provide an electrical power supply for docked Space Shuttles. The Station-Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS) will enable orbiters to use electricity generated by the station’s solar arrays, supplementing onboard fuel cells and saving supplies of hydrogen and oxygen. This will allow Shuttles to dock for up to 12 days rather than the current eight. The longer stay allows additional time for spacewalks and station maintenance to be performed by Shuttle crews, as well as orbiter thermal protection system inspections and repairs. The SSPTS will be installed in the first Shuttle in spring 2006. The first flight is targeted for Shuttle mission STS-119, which will deliver the final component of the truss and solar array structure that provides the station’s power.
Source: Flight International
