Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Anil Menon completed a major spacewalk on November 5 to upgrade the International Space Station. Along with Joshua Kutryk, he spent nearly seven hours installing the final solar array. This project, which started in February 2021, helps the station generate more electricity for its many scientific experiments.
Nearly 400 km above Earth, Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon stepped outside the International Space Station (ISS) for a nearly seven-hour operation that has brought an important power upgrade to the orbiting laboratory a step closer to completion.
Menon, along with Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, completed the spacewalk on November 5 (US time), spending six hours and 59 minutes working outside the station.
Nasa confirmed that the operation ended at 2:05 am IST on November 6.
The assignment, known as US Spacewalk 101, was Menon's fifth spacewalk and Kutryk's second, and it was the 286th spacewalk supporting the construction, upkeep and upgrades of the ISS.
WHY WAS US SPACEWALK 101 IMPORTANT?
The astronauts' main task was to install and unfold the eighth and final International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA).
Unlike conventional rigid solar panels, these arrays are designed to roll out in space, opening up to collect sunlight and generate electricity for the station.
Their installation completes a power-upgrade programme that started in February 2021.
The eight additional arrays are expected to raise the ISS's electricity-generating capacity from 160 kilowatts to around 215 kilowatts, helping meet the demands of its scientific experiments and onboard systems.
The project required 18 spacewalks, during which astronauts prepared the station and fitted the new arrays.
A LONG JOURNEY TO SPACE
Menon was selected as a Nasa astronaut in 2021.
Born in Minneapolis to Indian and Ukrainian immigrant parents, he has a background in medicine and engineering.
Before joining Nasa's astronaut corps, he served as SpaceX's first flight surgeon, helping prepare astronauts for their missions. He also worked with Nasa's astronaut corps as a crew flight surgeon.
Menon reached the space station aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft on July 14, 2026, beginning an approximately eight-month mission.
The latest spacewalk adds to his growing experience in orbit, while completing a crucial piece of infrastructure that will help keep the space station powered.