On the evening of August 6, 2026, Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon will step beyond the airlock of the International Space Station for the first time, joining veteran commander Jessica Meir in seven hours of work that will help sustain humanity's longest-running outpost in orbit. Their task — installing hardware for a new generation of compact, high-efficiency solar arrays — is both a technical necessity and a quiet milestone, connecting one physician-turned-astronaut's journey to the larger, ongoing effort to keep a fragile home among the stars alive and capable. In the vastness of the
Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon set for first spacewalk to upgrade ISS power
Two people in spacesuits will hold the future of the station in their hands.
Mark
Why does the ISS need new solar arrays right now? Isn't the station already powered?
Mimi
It is, but the original panels have been up there since the station's earliest days. They degrade over time in the harsh space environment. The new IROSA arrays are more efficient—they generate more power in a smaller package—which extends how long the station can operate and supports more research.
Luke
The source says the arrays will support "the station's eventual safe and controlled deorbit." That's interesting language. Is NASA already planning to bring the ISS down?
Mimi
Not immediately, but yes—the ISS has a finite operational life. These upgrades are part of extending that life and ensuring the station can be deorbited safely when the time comes, rather than falling uncontrolled.
Mark
What makes this spacewalk significant for Menon specifically?
Mimi
It's his first EVA. He's a physician and flight surgeon who joined NASA's astronaut corps in 2021, so this is a major milestone in his career. He's also of Indian origin, which makes this notable for India's space community.
Luke
The source doesn't say whether this is significant because of his background or because of what he's doing. It's both, I think—but we should be clear that the work itself is what matters most here.
Mark
How dangerous is a seven-hour spacewalk?
Mimi
Spacewalks are among the most dangerous activities astronauts do. You're in a spacesuit in a vacuum, tethered to the station, working with tools and equipment. One mistake or equipment failure can be catastrophic. That's why the preparation is so rigorous.
Luke
The source doesn't give us details about the risks or any close calls. We know it's dangerous in principle, but we don't know if this particular mission carries unusual hazards.
Mark
Who else is involved?
Mimi
Jessica Meir, the station commander, is the veteran spacewalker leading the mission. Inside the station, Jack Hathaway and Sophie Adenot from the European Space Agency will manage support operations and monitor everything from inside.
Der Puls
- The ISS's aging original solar panels can no longer meet the station's growing power demands alone, making this upgrade not optional but essential to the station's survival.
- Menon and Meir face seven hours in the vacuum of space — no margin for error, no easy retreat — installing precision hardware on the station's Starboard 6 truss.
- The new IROSA arrays, smaller and lighter than their predecessors, generate significantly more electricity, a leap in efficiency that will power research, life support, and the station's eventual controlled deorbit.
- Inside the station, astronauts Jack Hathaway and Sophie Adenot stand ready to monitor vitals, manage equipment, and respond to any emergency that arises during the EVA.
- For Menon — physician, flight surgeon, and 2021 astronaut selectee — this spacewalk marks a swift and significant ascent to the most demanding work his profession demands.
On the evening of August 6, 2026, Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon will step beyond the airlock of the International Space Station for the first time, joining veteran commander Jessica Meir in seven hours of work that will help sustain humanity's longest-running outpost in orbit. Their task — installing hardware for a new generation of compact, high-efficiency solar arrays — is both a technical necessity and a quiet milestone, connecting one physician-turned-astronaut's journey to the larger, ongoing effort to keep a fragile home among the stars alive and capable. In the vastness of the void, the work of two people in spacesuits carries the weight of decades of science, cooperation, and human ambition.
Anil Menon will step outside the International Space Station on Thursday evening to spend seven hours in the vacuum of space alongside Jessica Meir, the station's commander and a veteran spacewalker. Beginning at 6:05 pm IST on August 6, 2026, the two will exit through the Quest airlock and make their way to the Starboard 6 truss, where they will install equipment on the 3B power channel — preparation work that readies the station to receive its seventh International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array, or IROSA.
The new arrays are a meaningful upgrade. Smaller and lighter than the original panels they supplement, the IROSA units generate substantially more electricity — capacity that supports the station's scientific research, keeps life support and communications running, and provides the power needed for the ISS's eventual planned deorbit. The modernization effort is systematic, replacing panels that have been generating power since the station's earliest days in orbit.
Menon arrived at the ISS earlier this year as part of Expedition 74. Before joining NASA's astronaut corps in 2021, he worked as a physician and flight surgeon — training that shaped his readiness for the medical and physical demands of spaceflight. This spacewalk is his first, a swift progression from selection to one of the most demanding tasks an astronaut can undertake.
While Meir and Menon work outside, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot will manage support operations from inside — helping with suit preparation, monitoring vital signs, and standing ready for any contingency. The day before the EVA, the crew spent hours configuring tools, reviewing procedures, and mentally rehearsing movements they will make in weightlessness and cold. The spacewalk's duration will depend on conditions encountered outside, but in those seven hours, two people in spacesuits will carry the station's future in their hands.
Anil Menon will step outside the International Space Station on Thursday evening, tethered to nothing but the void, to do work that will keep the orbiting laboratory alive for years to come. The Indian-origin NASA astronaut will spend seven hours in the vacuum alongside Jessica Meir, a veteran spacewalker and the station's commander, installing hardware that prepares the station's power infrastructure for a new generation of solar panels. The work begins at 6:05 pm IST on August 6, 2026—a moment that marks Menon's first venture beyond the airlock and another step in NASA's long effort to modernize the aging systems that keep the ISS running.
The task is specific and consequential. Meir and Menon will exit through the Quest airlock and make their way to the Starboard 6 truss, a section of the station's backbone, where they will install equipment on the 3B power channel. This preparation work is essential: it readies the station to receive an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array, or IROSA, one of a new generation of compact, efficient power systems. The array they are preparing for will be the seventh IROSA installed on the ISS, part of a systematic replacement of the original solar panels that have been generating power since the station's earliest days in orbit.
The new arrays represent a significant leap in capability. Despite being smaller and lighter than the panels they supplement, the IROSA units generate substantially more electricity. This efficiency gain matters enormously for a station that has been in continuous operation for decades. The upgraded power system will support the scientific research that happens aboard the ISS, keep the station's life support and communications systems running, and provide the electrical capacity needed for the eventual controlled deorbit—the planned, deliberate descent that will bring the station safely to the end of its operational life.
Menon arrived at the ISS earlier this year as part of Expedition 74, joining the station as a flight engineer. Before becoming an astronaut, he worked as a physician and flight surgeon, training that prepared him for the demands of spaceflight and the medical contingencies that come with working in an extreme environment. He joined NASA's astronaut corps in 2021, making this spacewalk a relatively swift progression from selection to the most demanding work an astronaut can do. Inside the station during the EVA, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot will manage the support operations—helping Meir and Menon into and out of their spacesuits, monitoring their vital signs and equipment, and standing ready for any problem that might arise.
Before they venture outside, Meir and Menon have spent the day preparing. They have configured the tools they will need, reviewed the procedures they will follow, and mentally rehearsed the movements they will make in the weightlessness and cold of space. The spacewalk is expected to last approximately seven hours, though the actual duration will depend on how quickly the installation proceeds and the conditions they encounter outside. There is no margin for error in this work, and no possibility of simply stepping back inside if something goes wrong. The preparation, the training, the discipline—all of it converges on those seven hours when two people in spacesuits will hold the future of the station in their hands.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The upgraded arrays are designed to boost the station's power generation, supporting ongoing scientific research, routine operations and the station's eventual safe and controlled deorbit.— NASA mission briefing
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