Astronauts Perform Spacewalk to Upgrade Space Station Power

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and NASA astronaut Anil Menon completed an uncrewed maintenance task outside the International Space Station on October 29, 2026, NASA News reported. The space station was flying 267 miles above the South Atlantic Ocean when a photograph of Kutryk was taken during the spacewalk. [1]

According to NASA News, the two astronauts successfully installed a new roll-out solar array on the orbiting laboratory. They also completed preliminary tasks to prepare for an upcoming spacewalk scheduled for November 5, 2026. [1]

The scheduled spacewalk on November 5, 2026, will involve installing the eighth and final roll-out solar array, NASA News reported. Once fully operational, the eight solar arrays will boost the electrical capacity of the station. [1]

An astronaut is a person trained and equipped by a human spaceflight program to serve as a crew member or commander on a spacecraft. The designation is applied in the United States by NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the military. [5]