Space Station Power Upgraded During 100th U.S. Spacewalk
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk installed and deployed an upgraded solar array for the International Space Station during a spacewalk. The Expedition 75 crewmates completed the extravehicular activity at 3:08 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, marking the 100th U.S. spacewalk conducted without a space shuttle docked to the complex. The milestone operation unfolded from the U.S. Quest airlock, where both astronauts wore extravehicular mobility unit spacesuits.
Delivery via SpaceX Dragon Cargo and Canadarm2 Installation
The 750-pound assembly arrived at the orbiting outpost earlier in the month inside the unpressurized trunk of a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule during the company’s 35th resupply mission for NASA. Menon secured himself to the end of the Canadarm2 robotic arm to transport the rolled-up hardware from a temporary stowage platform to the station’s port side. Working along the backbone truss, Kutryk joined Menon at the 2A electrical power channel to mount the equipment using bolts and connect its electrical cables during a scheduled night pass for safety.
Deployment of the Roll-Out Solar Array
Without relying on a motor, the carbon composite booms unrolled the panel to its full 63-foot length using stored potential energy. Mission Control confirmed the deployment four hours and 23 minutes into the spacewalk. Twelve minutes later, the new array extended fully to drape over roughly half of the older, degraded P4 truss panel. The station’s original eight arrays exceed their 15-year design life, but the new roll-out arrays increase overall power generation by 20% to 30% to support operations leading up to the planned 2030 deorbit.
Timeline of Canadian Spacewalks and U.S. Extravehicular Milestones
Thursday’s outing marked the first spacewalk by a Canadian astronaut since April 2019, when David Saint-Jacques ventured outside alongside NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Space reported. Overall, the mission was the 285th spacewalk dedicated to station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. The first U.S. spacewalk from the Quest airlock occurred on Feb. 20, 2002, when Expedition 4 crewmates Carl Walz and Daniel Bursch tested airlock systems. For Kutryk, Thursday’s operation was his first career spacewalk, while Menon logged his fourth, bringing his total extravehicular time to 26 hours and 31 minutes.
Upcoming Final Solar Array Installation Scheduled for November
Menon and Kutryk are scheduled to conduct another extravehicular activity on Nov. 5, 2026, to install the eighth and final roll-out solar array. That final operation will conclude a five-year upgrade process designed to modernize the orbital laboratory’s electrical power system before the station’s controlled retirement.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Space Station Power Upgrade
How much power do the new roll-out solar arrays add to the space station?
When used in tandem with the older legacy panels, the new iROSAs increase the space station’s total power supply by 20% to 30% to support ongoing operations and the planned 2030 deorbit.
How long did the Oct. 29 spacewalk last?
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk completed a 7-hour-and-11-minute extravehicular activity that ended at 3:08 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026.
When is the final solar array scheduled for installation?
Menon and Kutryk are scheduled to perform another spacewalk on Nov. 5, 2026, to install the eighth and final iROSA, completing the multi-year power upgrade process.
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