Key facts
- NASA said the complete set of eight roll‑out solar arrays will raise the station’s power generation from about 160 kilowatts to roughly 215 kilowatts.
- NASA managers will hold a news conference on October 20 2026 at 2 p.m. EDT at Johnson Space Center to preview the upcoming spacewalks, with the event streamed on YouTube.
- On the Monday before the briefing, Menon cleaned the cooling loops of two spacesuits inside the Quest airlock while Kutryk filled the suit tanks and liquid‑cooling ventilation garments with fresh water.
- Flight engineer Luke Delaney is testing a SpaceX‑Dragon‑delivered experiment to analyze crew biological samples on‑station using portable tools for faster health insights.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk are scheduled to conduct a spacewalk on October 29 2026 to install a roll‑out solar array on the port side of the station’s truss. They will perform a second spacewalk on November 5 2026 to install the eighth and final array on the starboard side.
NASA said the complete set of eight roll‑out solar arrays will raise the station’s power generation from about 160 kilowatts to roughly 215 kilowatts. The extra power will also help with the planned deorbit maneuver slated for around 2030.
The extra electricity will keep essential station services running and will power the maneuver that lowers the ISS orbit at the end of its mission. By providing the energy needed for a controlled re‑entry, the upgrade contributes to the safe removal of the complex from orbit. This capability ties to the station’s scheduled retirement in 2030.
NASA managers will hold a news conference on October 20 2026 at 2 p.m. EDT at Johnson Space Center to preview the upcoming spacewalks, with the event streamed on YouTube. The briefing will outline the objectives and timelines for the October 29 and November 5 spacewalks, allowing the public to follow the preparations live.
Low Earth Orbit Program operations integration manager Gaurang Patel and spacewalk flight director Garrett Hehn will join the briefing at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
On the Monday before the briefing, Menon cleaned the cooling loops of two spacesuits inside the Quest airlock. Kutryk filled the suit tanks and liquid‑cooling ventilation garments with fresh water.
NASA flight engineers Luke Delaney and Jessica Watkins joined Menon and Kutryk for a pre–spacewalk conference with mission controllers. Delaney is testing a SpaceX‑Dragon‑delivered experiment to analyze crew biological samples on–station using portable tools for faster health insights. Watkins set up the BioFabrication Facility in the Columbus module to print blood vessels from cells of patients with a rapid‑aging genetic disorder to study how microgravity affects their formation. The activity occurred during the same week as the spacewalk preparations.
Canadarm2 will act as a standing platform for one astronaut during the spacewalks. He arrived at the ISS on October 1 2026 aboard SpaceX Crew‑13, marking his first spaceflight and a planned six‑month increment.
On August 6 2026, Menon performed a spacewalk to prepare the starboard truss for the installation of a new roll‑out solar array. Installation of the eight arrays began in 2021 and will be completed with the upcoming spacewalks in October and November 2026. NASA has labeled the October 29 2026 EVA as U.S. spacewalk 100, marking the centenary of American station excursions.
The Expedition 75 crew, including Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Sergey Teteryatnikov and Anna Kikina, conducted physics research, studied superintelligence tools for crew efficiency, and managed inventory duties on October 19, 2026.
Afterward, Kutryk filled the spacesuit tanks and liquid cooling and ventilation garments with clean water.
, NASA
NASA said the full set will lift the station's generating capacity from 160 kilowatts to about 215.
, SpaceQ Media Inc.
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