In brief
Early on Thursday, Menon and Kutryk commenced a 6½‑hour spacewalk to install a new roll‑out solar array on the ISS’s 2A electrical power channel. The EVA, NASA’s 285th, adds power needed for future station deorbit operations. The team is yet to finish the installation as the task proceeds.
Astronauts Anil Menon of NASA and Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency kicked off a 6½‑hour spacewalk at 7:57 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, the latest EVA to bolster the International Space Station’s power supply. The crew’s mission was to install and deploy the seventh roll‑out solar array, which will be mounted on the station’s 2A electrical power channel.
According to NASA, the new array is a critical addition that will help power essential system operations, including the station’s planned controlled deorbit. Menon, who has flown three previous spacewalks, logged his fourth EVA; Kutryk is completing his first.
The spacewalk is the ISS’s 285th EVA focused on assembly, maintenance and upgrades. It began in the station’s airlock under the oversight of mission control and is expected to run more than six and a half hours, as NASA briefs teams in real time.
Crews are still conducting setup and deployment, so the full installation remains unconfirmed. While the start time and mission goals are confirmed, the exact duration and completion status will be clarified as the EVA proceeds. Live telemetry from the ISS and ISS‑operated net cadence will provide updates to the community as the work continues.
