STS-120 spacewalking astronauts have successfully reattached a huge solar power array to the ISS. An attempt to unfurl the array's solar panels to their full configuration was cut short, however, when astronauts noticed a section of the panels seemed to be stuck.
NASA has not yet decided what to do about the stuck panels, but the mission has been extended one day due to metal shavings found in a node connecting a section of the power array to the ISS. Solar panels, obviously, need to face the Sun constantly to provide constant power, but the ISS is constantly moving. To maintain a lock on the Sun, the power array's connection to the station allows the panels to rotate. In at least one connection node, metal shavings suggest possibly serious wear. In another such node, however, astronauts report seemingly "brand new" conditions.
If NASA decides on another spacewalk to inspect the nodes, it might also decide to check out the stuck solar panels.
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