2017 is just a few days old and it is already bringing so much to new avenues of technology. The biggest one has been taking place aboard over the International Space Station (ISS). Just after the dawn of New Year a robotic mission recently took place that can upgrade the batteries of the station. NASA claims, ““In a remarkable demonstration of robotic prowess, ground controllers used the Canadian-built “Dextre” Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator over the weekend to install three new lithium-ion batteries in the International Space Station’s 3A power channel Integrated Electronics Assembly (IEA) pallet on the starboard 4 truss.”
NASA’s statement seems a bit strange, Dextre’s performance will establish a base for two spacewalk missions that will take place soon. Two astronauts, Flight engineer Peggy Whitson and Shane Kimbrough, will install three adapter plates that will replace three defected nickel-hydrogen batteries. Following these three spacewalks, Dextre will come back to external side of ISS where other three batteries will be installed in the IEA’s 1A power channel of the starboard truss. The project proves the significance of the robots in space mission, they may not be absolutely mandatory but their significance is unavoidable.
During upcoming years, all 48 batteries of ISS will be removed from their place and replaced with 24 other highly advanced lithium ion units. This adds up a lot of work load over Dextre along with lot of time that will prove its importance to people sitting at mission control. So, what will happen to the ancient batteries of ISS? There is no effective program for recycling such batteries in outer space, every single battery will be loaded over the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle that is attached with ISS> Later on, this month this vessel will stay away from station and come back to earth where these will burn to ash as the vehicle will reenter the atmosphere.
Filed Under: News
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