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Short Circuit on Space Station Hurts Power Systems

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Space Shuttle Endeavour Makes Last Trip To ISS Under Command Of Astronaut Mark Kelly
In this handout provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), back dropped by planet Earth the International Space Station (ISS) is seen from NASA space shuttle Endeavour after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation May 29, 2011 in space.NASA—Getty Images
By Sarah Begley

A short circuit on the International Space Station took out one of the eight power channels on Monday.

The affected systems were switched over to other channels, and the six crew members on board are operating normally, but they will require a replacement part that they don’t currently have on board, the Associated Press reports.

NASA hopes that a SpaceX delivery sometime early in 2016 will bring the spare part, and when it does, crew members may be required to perform a space walk to reach the problem area, as was necessary after a similar snafu in 2014.

[AP]

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