NASA and CSA Astronauts Advance Solar Array Upgrades During Spacewalk Above South Atlantic

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk was photographed working outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk on Oct. 29, 2026, as the orbiting laboratory passed 267 miles above the South Atlantic Ocean. Kutryk was joined on the excursion by NASA astronaut Anil Menon. The duo installed a new roll-out solar array on the space station as part of an ongoing effort to upgrade the facility's power generation capability. In addition to the array installation, the two astronauts completed get-ahead work to prepare for their next spacewalk, which is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2026. During that upcoming excursion, the pair will install the eighth and final roll-out solar array. Once all eight arrays are in place, they will increase the station's available power by up to 30 percent. The power upgrades are intended to support the continued operations of the International Space Station, which has been continuously crewed in low Earth orbit for more than two decades. The Oct. 29 spacewalk highlighted the ongoing collaboration between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, both of which maintain active astronaut corps supporting missions aboard the station.