Astronauts Anil Menon of NASA and Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency successfully concluded a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on the afternoon of October 30. The duo spent 7 hours and 11 minutes in the vacuum of space, completing their assigned tasks at 3:08 p.m. EDT.
During the excursion, the astronauts installed and deployed the seventh International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array on the station’s 2A electrical power channel. The new array contributes to a significant modernization of the orbiting laboratory’s power infrastructure, which is essential for ongoing station operations and preparations for the eventual controlled deorbit of the facility.
Menon and Kutryk also completed preparatory work for a subsequent spacewalk scheduled for November 5, when additional astronauts will install the eighth and final solar array on the 3B power channel. NASA will provide live coverage beginning at 6:45 a.m. that morning.
Upon completion of the solar array expansion project, the International Space Station will see a substantial increase in its power generation capacity. The eight new arrays together are expected to boost available electricity by approximately 30%, increasing the station’s power output from 160 kilowatts to roughly 215 kilowatts. This enhanced capability will support critical station functions and operational requirements.
The October 30 spacewalk held additional significance for the astronauts and space program milestones. For Menon, it represented his fourth spacewalk, while Kutryk experienced his first venture into extravehicular activity. The mission was designated U.S. spacewalk 100, reflecting its place in the broader history of space station maintenance and development. Overall, it marked the 285th spacewalk conducted in support of the assembly, maintenance, and improvement of the International Space Station since the facility’s inception.
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