NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk completed a seven-hour, 11-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station on October 29, 2026, successfully installing and deploying a new roll-out solar array to boost the orbiting laboratory’s power system.
The excursion began at 7:57 a.m. EDT when the two crew members switched their spacesuits to battery power and stepped out of the Quest airlock. Working in alternating stretches of low Earth orbit darkness and bright sunshine, the pair tackled the installation of an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array, known as an iROSA, on the station’s 2A electrical power channel. The operation marked the 100th U.S. spacewalk conducted without a space shuttle docked to the complex, and the 285th spacewalk overall dedicated to station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
Canada arm 2 as seen from cupola. It’s been busy preparing for the upcoming spacewalks. It moved from this location to get the solar arrays from SpaceX Dragon 35 trunk, then placed it on a mobile transporter on station. It even loosened bolts for us before the space walks next… pic.twitter.com/WSYza131K7
Menon studied neurobiology at Harvard.
Astronauts Deploy Port Truss Equipment
Moving the heavy equipment into position required intricate coordination between the spacewalkers outside and crew members operating robotic hardware from inside the station. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney operated the Canadarm2 robotic arm, using it to carry Menon and the folded array out to the port side of the main truss. Each rolled-up blanket weighs approximately 750 pounds on Earth and measures about 10 feet long when stowed.
Garrett Hehn, a flight director, noted that the arrays measure roughly 10 feet long and weigh around 750 pounds in that folded configuration.
Mission teams deliberately timed the electrical connections for a period of orbital darkness when the station’s existing wings generated no power. Once the array was bolted into place and cables were secured, Menon unbolted a final restraint. The blanket unfurled steadily over the course of about 10 minutes until it stretched out to its full length.
Engineers and electrical officers here in Mission Control are happy with what they’re seeing from the new array, which will add 8 kilowatts to the overall power capability of the complex.
Rob Navias, Mission Control commentator via Spaceflight Now
Joshua Kutryk Restarts Canadian Spacewalks
The mission brought attention to the Canadian Space Agency, making Kutryk the fifth Canadian astronaut to perform a spacewalk and ending a drought that last saw David Saint-Jaques venture outside the complex in April 2019. Kutryk arrived at the orbiting laboratory on October 1, 2026, as part of the Crew-13 mission.
Reflecting on the physical demands of extravehicular activity, Saint-Jaques noted that spacesuits function essentially as miniature spacecraft tailored to a human frame. Ground support for the flight extended to a Canadian Space Agency team in Longueuil, Quebec, while fellow Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons acted as capsule communicator from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Astronauts Target November 5 for Final Power Upgrade
Thursday’s deployment brought the total number of iROSAs installed on the station to seven. The newer rollout blankets do not replace the original arrays, but rather augment them to offset age-related power degradation.
| Power Metric | Before Upgrade | After Final Installation |
|---|---|---|
| Generation Capacity | 160 kilowatts | Approximately 215 kilowatts |
| Total Installed iROSAs | 7 arrays | 8 arrays |
Menon and Kutryk also completed several preliminary get-ahead tasks during their 7-hour, 11-minute excursion to clear the path for their next outing. The crew is scheduled to step outside again on Thursday, November 5, to install the eighth and final iROSA on the 3B power channel, bringing the five-year power upgrade effort to a close and preparing the station for its eventual controlled deorbit in 2030.
.@Astro_Anil and @Astro_Kutryk completed a spacewalk at 3:08 p.m. EDT today after installing a roll-out solar array for power generation. They will conduct a final power upgrade spacewalk on Thursday, Nov. 5. More… https://t.co/zbPdOW1wks pic.twitter.com/KTKf0E9Amr
More on International Space Station
As I embark on my first spacewalk tomorrow, my colleague Anil and I will be able to count on the support of a Canadian legend: Canadarm2.À la veille de ma première sortie dans l’espace, mon collègue Anil et moi pourrons compter sur l’appui d’une légende canadienne : Canadarm2. pic.twitter.com/bZu6gd3gr1