Astronauts install new solar panel on the ISS

Astronauts Anil Menon of NASA and Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency have begun a spacewalk to install the seventh of eight new solar panels on the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, which began around 8:00 AM ET, is expected to last approximately seven hours.

This upgrade is part of a program initiated in 2021 to bolster the station's electrical supply. Once all eight panels are installed, the ISS will see an increase in available power of up to 30%, raising its capacity from 160 to approximately 215 kilowatts. This additional energy is intended to support critical operations, including the eventual safe and controlled deorbiting of the orbital laboratory.

During the operation, Menon is utilizing the Canadarm2 robotic arm to transport the panel, while Kutryk works on the station structure to complete the assembly. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney are providing support from inside the station.