Time to power up 🔋    The International Space Station (ISS) gets its power from the largest power source in our solar system - the Sun. Most spacecraft use solar panels to harness the Sun's continuous energy and provide power to keep the spacecraft working and at the right temperature.    Solar panels (like this set of solar arrays on the station) must be designed around two key factors: size and reliability. The size of the panels affects the cost of launch, while the reliability determines how the panels withstand the harsh environment of space, including temperature swings, radiation, and micrometeoroid impacts.    The current wingspan of our space station's solar array, 356 feet (109 meters), is longer than the world's largest passenger aircraft. The solar panel pictured above is one of eight that generate approximately 95 kilowatts of power for a total of up to 215 kilowatts (215,000 watts) of power available to keep the station running. For comparison, an active computer and ...