NASA Sets Briefing for Two ISS Spacewalks to Finish Solar Array Upgrades
NASA will hold a news conference on Oct. 20 to preview two upcoming spacewalks from the International Space Station. During the Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 excursions, astronauts Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk will install and deploy the final two roll-out solar arrays. The upgrades are expected to raise the station's power generation from 160 kilowatts to about 215 kilowatts.
NASA plans an Oct. 20 briefing at 2 p.m. EDT from Houston to outline two station excursions. Gaurang Patel, who manages operations integration for the Low Earth Orbit Program, and spacewalk flight director Garrett Hehn will take part.
On Oct. 29, NASA’s Anil Menon and CSA’s Joshua Kutryk are set to install and unfurl the seventh roll-out array on the 2A power channel. On Nov. 5, the pair will add the eighth and last array on 3B. These upgrades are expected to lift station generation from 160 kilowatts to roughly 215 kilowatts, a gain of as much as 30%.
The added power capacity could help the station support more experiments, maintenance, and eventual controlled deorbit work, affecting astronauts, international partners, and researchers who rely on orbital facilities. It may also inform designs for future space-based power systems, potentially influencing commercial and scientific activities in low Earth orbit. Public interest in spacewalks and live coverage may sustain engagement with space technology, though direct everyday benefits are likely indirect and long-term.