NASA Astronauts Set for Final Spacewalk to Boost ISS Power Capacity by 30 Percent

The International Space Station is set to reach a critical turning point in its operational history this week as a pair of astronauts venture outside to mount the eighth and final roll-out solar array. This installation marks the culmination of a multi-year effort to modernize the station’s energy grid, boosting its total power generation by roughly 30 percent.

Finalizing a Major Power Grid Expansion

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk are slated to exit the orbital outpost on Thursday, November 5, to begin their second joint spacewalk. According to NASA, the seven-hour mission will focus on the starboard truss, mirroring the work they completed on the port side just over a week ago on October 29. By finalizing this array, the ISS will see its electrical capacity climb from 160 kilowatts to a robust 215 kilowatts, ensuring the station can sustain intensive research and life-support requirements for years to come.

Astronauts Joshua Kutryk and Anil Menon will go out on their second spacewalk together on Thursday, Nov. 5, to install the eighth and final roll-out solar array to augment the International Space Station’s power generation system. Here are some scenes from their previous spacewalk on Oct. 29 when they installed the seventh roll-out solar array on the orbital outpost.

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) November 3, 2026

Synchronized Robotics and Mission Readiness

The complexity of maneuvering massive solar components in microgravity requires precise coordination between the astronauts and the station’s robotic systems. On Monday, November 2, the crew conducted extensive simulations involving the Canadarm2. Joined by NASA flight engineers Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, the team held mission-critical conferences with ground controllers to rehearse every movement, ensuring that the heavy lifting required for the final array installation remains safe and efficient.

Scientific Endeavors Continue in Orbit

Even as the crew prepares for the spacewalk, the Expedition 75 mission continues its heavy workload of scientific investigation. The laboratory remains a hive of activity, with experiments spanning human health and materials science:

• Human Physiology: Joshua Kutryk utilized the Bio-Monitor system—a wearable sensor suite—during a stationary bike session in the Destiny module to track cardiovascular data that could prove vital for future deep-space missions to the Moon and Mars.
• Bio-Manufacturing: Luke Delaney focused on the BioFabrication Facility, managing the growth of vascular tissue samples to test the potential for manufacturing human biological components in space.
• Microbial Research: Jessica Watkins conducted DNA sequencing to monitor antibiotic-resistant bacteria, providing insight into the evolving microbial environment aboard the station.

In the Russian segment of the station, the research agenda remained equally diverse. Station commander Pyotr Dubrov focused on the growth of high-purity semiconductor crystals, while cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov underwent a 24-hour cardiovascular evaluation to monitor heart health. Meanwhile, Anna Kikina handled critical maintenance on the station’s ventilation systems and oversaw cargo transfers from the Progress 96 spacecraft. These ongoing experiments underscore the dual purpose of the ISS, serving as both a testbed for future exploration technologies and a unique laboratory for fundamental science that cannot be replicated on Earth.