'1 more step': NASA astronauts conduct 6.5-hour spacewalk to prep ISS for solar array upgrade
Jessica Meir and Anil Menon completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk to install solar array mounting hardware outside of the International Space Station on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk on Aug. 6, 2026, to prepare the International Space Station (ISS) for the installation of the final set of mounting hardware for new solar arrays. The astronauts worked on power channel 3B, located on the starboard (S6) segment of the station's backbone truss, to assemble and bolt together triangular brackets that will allow for the future addition of a new ISS Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA).
The installation of the iROSA is expected to increase the station's electricity supply by 20% to 30%, compensating for the degraded power output of the eight original arrays that have exceeded their 15-year design life.
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