Indian-origin Anil Menon makes space history; ISS gets new solar panel
CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News / Agencies, Bhopal:
Indian-origin American astronaut Anil Menon has completed an important spacewalk to upgrade the power system of the International Space Station (ISS). On November 5, 2026, along with Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, he spent about 6 hours and 59 minutes in space and installed the station’s eighth and final roll-out solar array. With this achievement, a major campaign to increase the space station’s power-generation capacity has been completed.
Solar array installed with robotic arm
During the mission, Anil Menon used the space station’s giant robotic arm, Canadarm2, to move the solar array to its designated location and install it. The solar panel was installed on the station’s 3B power channel. Its purpose is to provide additional electricity to the station, supporting scientific experiments and routine operations.
Power-generation capacity to rise by up to 30 percent
According to NASA, the installation of the new roll-out solar arrays will increase the space station’s power-generation capacity from about 160 kilowatts to 215 kilowatts. This will provide the station with about 30 percent additional electricity. Under the campaign that has been under way since 2021, the work of installing eight solar arrays has been completed.
Anil Menon’s fifth spacewalk
This was Anil Menon’s fifth spacewalk, while Joshua Kutryk worked outside in space for the second time. According to NASA, this was the 286th spacewalk in support of construction, maintenance and upgrades of the space station.
Anil Menon, whose family has roots in Kerala, was born in Minneapolis in the United States. He is a doctor by profession and an astronaut with the American space agency NASA. With this mission, he has made an important contribution to strengthening the energy system of the space station.
