MilestoneOctober 28, 2026

Astronauts complete five year power upgrade outside space station

Spacewalkers installed the eighth and final roll-out solar array, securing updated power generation for the station through its planned retirement in 2030.

A view peering down a pair of the International Space Station's roll-out solar arrays
A view peering down a pair of the International Space Station's roll-out solar arrays · NASA/JSC, Public domain (NASA)

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk completed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station to install and deploy the eighth and final IROSA solar array on the station's 3B power channel.

The spacewalk concluded at 3:35 p.m. EST after beginning at 8:36 a.m. EST. The completion of this installation marks the end of a five-year effort to upgrade the station's power generation system, ensuring the orbiting laboratory can continue operating through its planned retirement in 2030.

See International Space Station in the map