On October 29, two astronauts stepped outside the International Space Station to begin the final stage of a power upgrade that has been years in the making. Their task was to install a roll-out solar array, a new source of electricity for an orbiting laboratory that depends entirely on what its wings can gather from the sun. The outing also marked the hundredth American spacewalk from the station, a long record of crews working in the vacuum to keep the outpost alive and capable. The work now rests on one more venture outside, scheduled for November 5, which will decide whether this long effor
Spacewalkers Begin Final Phase of Multi-Year ISS Solar Array Power Upgrade
A hundred American spacewalks, and this one was about keeping the lights on.
Mark
So what actually happened on October 29?
Mimi
Two astronauts went out on a spacewalk to install a roll-out solar array on the space station. It kicked off the final phase of a power upgrade that has run for years.
Mark
And there's a milestone attached?
Mimi
Space.com counted it as the 100th U.S. spacewalk from the ISS. That's a nice round number for a job that's about keeping the lights on.
Luke
Before we get carried away, how much do we actually know? The reporting here is headlines, not full articles.
Mimi
Fair. We know the date, the purpose, and that another spacewalk is planned for November 5. We don't have the astronauts' names or the length of the walk.
Luke
And the power numbers? Does anyone say how much more electricity this adds?
Mimi
Not in what's available. The upgrade is described as multi-year and the array as part of a broader overhaul, but no figures are given.
Mark
One report says the array was deployed, another is a preview. Do those line up?
Luke
They're from different moments, so probably, but I'd want to know whether the deployment was fully completed. The headline says deployed; the details aren't here.
Mimi
Right. November 5 is when we'll learn whether the upgrade is truly finished.
The Pulse
- Two astronauts ventured into open space to begin the last stage of a years-long power overhaul.
- A new roll-out solar array unfolded into the station's energy system, carrying the weight of a project with little margin for error.
- The October 29 walk also became the hundredth American spacewalk from the station, a milestone the crew carried out under pressure.
- Everything now bends toward the November 5 spacewalk, the next step that is expected to complete the upgrade.
On October 29, two astronauts stepped outside the International Space Station to begin the final stage of a power upgrade that has been years in the making. Their task was to install a roll-out solar array, a new source of electricity for an orbiting laboratory that depends entirely on what its wings can gather from the sun. The outing also marked the hundredth American spacewalk from the station, a long record of crews working in the vacuum to keep the outpost alive and capable. The work now rests on one more venture outside, scheduled for November 5, which will decide whether this long effort reaches its end.
Two astronauts left the International Space Station on October 29 to start the final stretch of a power system upgrade that has been unfolding over several years. Their job was to install a roll-out solar array, a new piece of hardware meant to add to the station's ability to generate electricity.
The outing carried extra significance. It was counted as the hundredth American spacewalk from the station, a round number that reflects a long history of crews working outside the pressurized modules to build, repair, and upgrade the laboratory. This walk was devoted to keeping the station's power supply current.
The available reporting is brief. It does not name the astronauts, give the length of the spacewalk, or describe how the array performed after deployment. Details about the total added power and the number of arrays installed over the project are also absent from what is on hand.
What is clear is the arc ahead. The October 29 spacewalk opened the final phase, and a second spacewalk on November 5 is scheduled to complete the solar array upgrade. If that second outing proceeds as planned, the multi-year effort will reach its conclusion.
Two astronauts stepped outside the International Space Station on October 29 to begin the last stage of a power system upgrade that has been under way for several years. The task in front of them was to install a roll-out solar array, a new piece of hardware meant to add to the station's electricity generation.
The headlines gathered around the event point to several things at once. CBS News described it as the start of the final phase of a multi-year effort. NASA's own coverage framed the work as the installation of a roll-out solar array for power generation. Space.com marked the milestone differently: the outing was counted as the 100th U.S. spacewalk from the ISS, and the report said the astronauts deployed the new array during it.
Spaceflight Now laid out the schedule. NASA is nearing the end of the station's solar array upgrade, with two spacewalks planned: the one on October 29 and a second on November 5. Taken together, those two outings are meant to finish the job. USA Today, ahead of the walk, ran a preview of what viewers could expect from the two astronauts preparing to go out.
The source material is thin on detail. The available text consists of headlines and summaries, so it does not name the astronauts, give the duration of the spacewalk, or describe how the array performed once it was deployed. It also does not say how much additional power the upgrade will provide in total, or how many arrays have been installed over the course of the project. Those specifics may exist in the full reports, but they are not in what is available here.
What is clear is the shape of the project. The upgrade is a multi-year effort aimed at the station's power system, and the roll-out solar array is a central piece of it. The October 29 spacewalk opened the final phase, and the November 5 spacewalk is the next scheduled step.
The round-number milestone adds some weight. A hundred American spacewalks from the station is a long record of crews going outside to build, repair, and upgrade the orbiting laboratory, and this one was devoted to keeping its power supply up to date.
The thing to watch is November 5. If that spacewalk goes as planned, it should bring the multi-year solar array upgrade to its conclusion.
Notable Quotes
NASA is nearing the end of the station's solar array upgrade, with spacewalks on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5.— Spaceflight Now (paraphrased)
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