The astronauts completed a five-year power upgrade after resolving a low-current reading. NASA estimates the eight new arrays will raise available station power by up to 30%.
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and NASA astronaut Anil Menon deployed the last of eight roll-out solar arrays outside the International Space Station on 5 November 2026. The spacewalk completed a five-year upgrade to supplement the station’s aging solar wings. Kutryk is also a test pilot, fighter pilot and engineer; he graduated from NASA’s astronaut training program in 2020.
NASA estimates that the arrays will increase available station power by up to 30%, supporting operations through the planned retirement in 2030 and what the agency calls a safe and controlled deorbit.
The final array unrolled at about 20:05 UTC on 5 November (00:05 Yerevan time on 6 November). The spacewalk ended at 20:35 UTC (00:35 Yerevan time on 6 November), when the astronauts began repressurizing the Quest airlock, after 6 hours and 59 minutes.
Flight controllers in Houston delayed deployment after the newly connected array delivered about half the electrical current engineers expected, Spaceflight Now said. The astronauts had to wait for the station to enter Earth’s shadow before checking the connection: the existing solar wing and its cables are electrically live in sunlight.
During the next orbital night, Kutryk disconnected one cable connection, inspected both ends and plugged it back in, confirming it was firmly seated. Once daylight returned, controllers saw satisfactory currents and cleared the crew to deploy the array. NASA did not immediately say what caused the low initial readings.
The array’s mounting point was beyond the reach of Canadarm2, the station’s robotic arm, so Menon and Kutryk passed the folded array between them to move it into position. It was Kutryk’s second spacewalk and Menon’s fifth; Menon had also helped install the mounting bracket on 6 August.
NASA Mission Control says the panel will add 8 kilowatts to the station’s power capability. The final array is scheduled for installation on 5 November 2026, completing the power upgrades.
The smaller roll-out arrays sit in front of the original solar wings, whose output has gradually declined. Space shuttles delivered the original arrays between 2000 and 2009; they were designed to last 15 years. The new arrays partly shade the old wings, but their exposed portions continue to generate power.
The first roll-out array deployed in June 2021, and six were installed by June 2023. NASA ordered the final pair later that summer. The final pair launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on 13 October 2026; Kutryk and Menon installed the seventh array on 29 October.
At an October 20 briefing, NASA operations integration manager Gaurang Patel said the next planned US spacewalks were targeted for early January to upgrade the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a cosmic-ray detector mounted on the station.
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