6 publishers · first seen Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:00 UTC · updated Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:22 UTC
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk has begun a spacewalk alongside NASA astronaut Anil Menon to upgrade the International Space Station's power system. The pair are installing a new roll-out solar array on the station's port side truss structure, part of a series of upgrades that will increase the station's power supply to about 215 kilowatts. The spacewalk, expected to last nearly seven hours, is the first of two for Kutryk and Menon, with the second scheduled for no sooner than November 5. They are deploying the seventh and eighth International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs), which will be placed over older arrays to boost efficiency.
Canadarm2, the station's robotic arm, is supporting the operation by transporting and positioning the solar arrays. NASA astronauts Luke Delaney and Jessica Watkins are operating the arm from inside the station. The arrays, each weighing 750 pounds and measuring 10 feet long when folded, will extend to about 20 feet once deployed. CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons serves as capcom for the spacewalks, communicating between the crew and mission control.
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