Music.
The next part of the International Space Station might resemble a cocoon when tucked inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis for flight.
By the time it's deployed in space, the segment that will help provide a quarter of the
completed station's power will look more like a butterfly -- an extremely large butterfly.
The port three and four integrated truss segment is the prime payload for the next shuttle mission.
"The truss in its launch configuration is about 45 feet long, but once on orbit and the
solar arrays are deployed, it will have a wingspan of almost 240 feet."
The entire deployment process will require the astronauts to perform three spacewalks which would
include deploying the two solar wings.
"Ok the P3/P4 element will be installed on the end of the what is right now the end of the port truss segment or the P1 segment on orbit.
It's going to be providing two primary capabilities, the first being power. The power module will provide the
capability to generate, store, distribute and regulate power for the space station.
It's going to supplement the capability that is up there now with the P6 element.
In addition, the P3 half of this integrated cargo element has a mechanism on it that's
going to allow that's going to rotate all of the outboard truss segments,
including the solar arrays, to allow them to stay pointed optimally at the sun for power-generation capability."
The truss segment was moved to the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B in the payload transport canister.
There it will be transferred to the payload bay of Atlantis, and await liftoff of the shuttle on mission STS-115.