We recently wrote about the delay in replacing the international space station batteries. NASA has gradually been exchanging the old nickel-hydrogen ones for lithium-ion upgrades. A Japanese Kounotori-7 cargo spacecraft was due to lift off on September 10, 2018 to deliver the next batch of space station replacement batteries. Until an approaching typhoon disrupted planning, and set the program back.
Space Station Replacement Batteries: Launch Imminent
The consignment for the international space station will leave Earth today, Friday, Sept. 21 2018 at 2:15 p.m. The lift off of the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle cargo craft will screen live on NASA Television from 1:45 p.m. onward.
The station commander and flight engineer will spacewalk the adapter plates into position once the consignment has docked. Then ground controllers will direct the station’s robotic arm to position the latest space station replacement batteries on the port truss of the spacecraft. This will complete upgrades to two International Space Station power channels.
Are We Becoming Accustomed to Feats of Bravery like This?
Station Commander Drew Feustel of NASA, and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of European Space Agency will be risking their lives when they spacewalk on Sunday, Sept. 30 2018 to position the adapter plates.
NASA will provide coverage of both six-and-a-half hour spacewalks on Sept. 30. The second one will attend to station assembly, maintenance and upgrades. They will be in our hearts, our hopes and dreams as they tend the space station replacement batteries, and other systems that support their lives.
Construction of the international space station began in 1998 when Russian modules docked, followed by a NASA space shuttle vehicle. Ah, what high hopes we had of international cooperation back then. Scientists are still trying, although politicians seem to be spinning away.
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International Space Station Batteries Delayed
The Space Batteries We Sometimes Forget
Preview Image: International Space Station Elements in June 2017
