Above the turning Earth, a physician-engineer named Anil Menon stepped outside the International Space Station for the first time, joining a lineage of human beings who have dared to work in the void. Over six and a half hours, he and veteran astronaut Jessica Meir installed mounting hardware to prepare the station for a new generation of solar arrays — quiet, technical work that nonetheless carries the weight of a civilization extending its reach into space. His achievement belongs not only to NASA but to a broader story of India's growing presence in human spaceflight, a story still very muc
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon completes maiden ISS spacewalk
Every movement rehearsed, every tool secured, every action coordinated with Earth.
Mark
So Menon stepped outside the station for the first time. What made this particular spacewalk significant beyond the obvious?
Mimi
It's his first one, which matters enormously. Spacewalks are among the hardest things an astronaut does—you're in a vacuum, traveling at 28,000 kilometers per hour, with no room for error. But beyond that, the work itself is critical. The ISS's original solar arrays have been degrading for over twenty years. These new Roll-Out Solar Arrays generate much more power.
Luke
How much more power are we talking about? The article says they're "substantially more efficient" but doesn't give a number.
Mimi
That's fair—the source doesn't quantify it. What we know is that the new arrays are lighter and more capable, and they're needed to support the growing number of experiments aboard the station.
Mark
And Menon's background—physician, mechanical engineer, SpaceX's first flight surgeon. That's an unusual combination for an astronaut.
Mimi
Very unusual. He brought expertise in both the engineering side and the medical side of spaceflight. That mix probably made him valuable for a mission like this, where you need to understand both the hardware and the human factors.
Luke
But the article doesn't actually explain why his particular background was chosen for this particular spacewalk. We know what he's trained in, but not why NASA paired him with Meir for this specific task.
Mimi
True. We know Meir is a veteran on her sixth spacewalk, so she's the experienced hand. Menon is the newcomer. Beyond that, the reasoning isn't spelled out.
Mark
What does this mean for India's space program?
Mimi
It's symbolic more than anything. Menon represents India's growing presence in global space exploration. India is working on Gaganyaan, its own human spaceflight program, so having an Indian-origin astronaut doing this kind of work abroad signals capability and ambition.
Luke
But we should be careful not to overstate the connection. Menon is a NASA astronaut, not an Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut. His achievement reflects American space capability, not India's.
Mimi
That's right, though the symbolic value for India is still real. It shows what's possible.
Le Pouls
- A first-time spacewalker, Menon faced one of the most demanding assignments in human spaceflight — every movement rehearsed, every tool secured, with Earth watching from 400 kilometers below.
- The ISS's original solar arrays have spent two decades degrading under radiation and extreme temperature swings, creating an urgent need to supplement aging power systems before they compromise the station's hundreds of ongoing experiments.
- Menon and Meir installed critical mounting hardware on the station's 3B power channel, laying the groundwork for a seventh Roll-Out Solar Array without disrupting any of the life-support or scientific systems currently running aboard.
- Thursday's spacewalk is the first of three planned for August alone, signaling an accelerating push to modernize the ISS before its eventual controlled de-orbit sometime in the next decade.
- For India, the mission lands as more than a technical milestone — it deepens a lineage from Kalpana Chawla to Sunita Williams and now Menon, arriving just as the country advances its own Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
Above the turning Earth, a physician-engineer named Anil Menon stepped outside the International Space Station for the first time, joining a lineage of human beings who have dared to work in the void. Over six and a half hours, he and veteran astronaut Jessica Meir installed mounting hardware to prepare the station for a new generation of solar arrays — quiet, technical work that nonetheless carries the weight of a civilization extending its reach into space. His achievement belongs not only to NASA but to a broader story of India's growing presence in human spaceflight, a story still very much being written.
On Thursday, Anil Menon stepped outside the International Space Station for the first time, tethered to the orbiting laboratory as it traveled at nearly 28,000 kilometers per hour. The six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk, conducted alongside veteran astronaut Jessica Meir on her sixth EVA, was designated US Spacewalk 96 — the 281st in the history of ISS construction and maintenance. For a first-time spacewalker, the assignment ranks among the most demanding in human spaceflight.
The primary task was installing mounting hardware on the station's 3B power channel, preparing the way for a seventh International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array, or IROSA, scheduled for later in the year. The station's original solar panels have degraded significantly over two decades in orbit. NASA's newer Roll-Out Solar Arrays are lighter, more efficient, and generate substantially more power — and installing the hardware now allows future upgrades to proceed without disrupting the scientific experiments and life-support systems already running aboard.
Menon's path to this moment is itself remarkable. Born to an Indian father from Kerala and a Ukrainian mother, he trained as both a physician and mechanical engineer, and served as SpaceX's first flight surgeon before NASA selected him in the 2021 astronaut class. Throughout Thursday's mission, he and Meir worked in Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuits — self-contained spacecraft providing oxygen, temperature regulation, and protection against radiation — while navigating an environment of extreme temperature swings and unforgiving vacuum.
Thursday's excursion is the first of three NASA spacewalks planned for August, with subsequent missions targeting a communications antenna replacement and data relay upgrades — all part of a broader effort to extend the ISS's operational life ahead of its planned de-orbit in the coming decade. For India, Menon's achievement carries particular resonance, arriving as the country pursues its own human spaceflight ambitions through the Gaganyaan programme and adding another chapter to a legacy that runs from Kalpana Chawla to Sunita Williams and now into a new generation.
On Thursday, Anil Menon stepped outside the International Space Station for the first time in his career, tethered to the orbiting laboratory as it hurtled around Earth at nearly 28,000 kilometers per hour. The six-and-a-half-hour excursion into the vacuum of space was not routine. For a first-time spacewalker, this kind of work ranks among the most demanding assignments in human spaceflight—every movement rehearsed, every tool secured, every action coordinated with mission controllers watching from Earth. Menon, a physician and mechanical engineer who was selected by NASA as part of the 2021 astronaut class, carried out the mission alongside Jessica Meir, a veteran astronaut on her sixth spacewalk.
The primary task was to install mounting hardware on the station's 3B power channel, preparing the way for another International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array, or IROSA, scheduled for installation later in the year. This new panel will be the seventh IROSA attached to the ISS. The work matters because the station's original solar arrays, which have powered the orbiting laboratory for more than two decades, have gradually degraded under the harsh conditions of space. NASA's newer Roll-Out Solar arrays are lighter, more efficient, and capable of generating substantially more electricity than the aging panels they supplement. By installing the hardware now, astronauts lay groundwork for future upgrades without disrupting the hundreds of scientific experiments and life-support systems currently running aboard the station.
Menon's path to this moment reflects an unusual convergence of expertise. Born in the United States to an Indian father from Kerala and a Ukrainian mother, he trained as both a physician and mechanical engineer. Before joining NASA, he served as SpaceX's first flight surgeon, developing medical support systems for commercial human spaceflight. His selection in 2021 marked him as one of the most prominent Indian-origin astronauts representing the American space agency. The mission itself—designated US Spacewalk 96—represents the 281st spacewalk conducted in support of the ISS since construction began.
Throughout the operation, Menon and Meir wore NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuits, essentially miniature spacecraft that provide oxygen, temperature regulation, communication, and protection against radiation and micrometeoroids. Both remained securely attached to the ISS using multiple safety tethers while navigating the station's exterior. The extreme environment they worked in presents constant hazards: temperature swings that swing from intense heat in sunlight to deep cold in shadow, the vacuum itself, and the speed of orbital travel that leaves no margin for error.
Thursday's mission is the first of three NASA spacewalks planned for August. A second EVA on August 13 will focus on replacing a space-to-ground communications antenna, while a third on August 25 will involve connecting power-channel cables and upgrading the station's data relay systems. These upgrades are part of NASA's broader strategy to extend the ISS's operational life while preparing for its eventual controlled de-orbit sometime in the next decade.
For India, Menon's achievement carries particular weight. The country is pursuing its own human spaceflight ambitions through the Gaganyaan programme, and his maiden spacewalk stands as another marker of India's growing presence in global space exploration. The legacy stretches back through astronauts like Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams, and now extends to a new generation helping shape the future of human spaceflight. NASA broadcast the entire mission live, allowing viewers around the world to witness Menon's historic first venture outside the International Space Station.
Citations marquantes
For first-time astronauts, spacewalks are considered among the toughest assignments in human spaceflight.— NASA reporting on the mission
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur Times of India ↗
Science & Space