Ouch

Last December I questioned the practice of retracting and extending the ISS's solar arrays as though they were mini-blinds, and it appears as though those concerns were well founded. Honestly, I am not gloating over this recent turn of events. It saddens me that this has occurred, but I can't say I'm surprised. Discussion around the office has brought up the notion that it might've been a good idea to disconnect the solar panels from the station entirely and move them off to the side while adding the new modules and what have you. Naturally moving them off to the side would mean attaching them to the station via a "stiff piece of rope". A stiff piece of rope in this case might be something along the lines of an extremely long carbon fiber tent pole or similar. I have a few more observations that I will make in other entries this month and next.