ISS Power-Density Plans: Now and into the Future (Download)
After two decades, what is NASA planning to do after the present International Space Station (ISS) is decommissioned in about 2030?
The ISS is about the size of a professional football field. Its bigger modules as well as smaller components were delivered via 42 flights to complete the ISS assembly (37 on U.S. space shuttles and five on Russian Proton/Soyuz rockets).
In 2014, the ISS’s power generation consisted of eight solar arrays that provide an average of between 84 and 120 kW of power. However, a few of the solar arrays are more than 20 years old—they were originally designed for a 15-year service life. They’re now showing signs of degradation and are gradually getting less efficient over time. And the many complex science experiments being performed by the ISS astronauts are pushing the power requirements to the limit.