NASA astronauts complete 6.5-hour spacewalk to install hardware for future solar arrays

Astronauts Anil Menon and Jessica Meir conducted a spacewalk on the International Space Station to install mounting hardware that will support the station’s upcoming solar array augmentation. The extravehicular activity, performed during the station’s regular maintenance window, focused on securing brackets and attachment points on the station’s truss segment, preparing the structure for the integration of additional photovoltaic panels.

The newly installed hardware is part of a broader effort to increase the station’s power generation capacity and reduce reliance on aging solar arrays. By enabling the future deployment of advanced solar modules, the upgrade aims to enhance energy availability for scientific experiments and onboard systems, extending the operational lifespan of the ISS.