Astronauts Fix Solar Wing

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (AP) -- A spacewalking astronaut has fixed a ripped solar energy panel on the international space station.<br/><br/>Snarled wires had ripped the panel in two places as it was

Saturday, November 3rd 2007, 2:23 pm

By: News On 6

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (AP) -- A spacewalking astronaut has fixed a ripped solar energy panel on the international space station.

Snarled wires had ripped the panel in two places as it was being unfurled Tuesday. To make the needed repairs, astronaut Scott Parazynski installed homemade braces on the torn wing and clipped the wires that had ripped it.

Astronauts inside slowly extended the wing, watching closely for more problems, eventually extending the wing to its full length.

The solar panel captures sunlight to generate electricity and had to be repaired before space station construction could continue.

Without repairs, the wing posed a structural hazard for the international space station. The damage could have worsened and the wing could have become unstable.