AsiaNews Iran — A new set of solar wings is the task outside the International Space Station today. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk began their spacewalk at 7:57 a.m. EDT on October 29, 2026, NASA confirmed. That is 11:57 UTC, or 3:27 p.m. in Tehran.
Their assignment is to install and deploy a roll-out solar array on the station's 2A electrical power channel. The confirmed milestone is the start of the excursion; installation and activation should not be treated as complete simply because the astronauts have left the airlock.
Why add solar arrays to an existing station?
The ISS already has large solar arrays. The new roll-out units augment that system rather than replacing the entire structure. SpacePolicyOnline's account of the two planned excursions explains that the older arrays have lost performance over more than two decades, and that six of the new arrays are already installed.
NASA's October 21 station update says the yearslong installation effort is intended to increase power-generation capability by up to 30 percent. That figure describes the upgrade programme, not an immediate increase that can be attributed to the start of today's spacewalk.
The practical point is continuity: an orbiting laboratory needs dependable electricity while its crews keep working. The question of what will eventually replace the ISS is separate from maintaining the station that astronauts use now.
Two astronauts outside, a larger team behind them
Menon is a NASA flight engineer aboard the station; Kutryk is a Canadian Space Agency astronaut and colonel taking part in his first spacewalk. NASA's preparation report identifies this as Menon's fourth excursion. During the operation, Menon's suit has red stripes, while Kutryk wears the unmarked suit.
The Canadian agency describes a carefully choreographed robotics operation. Canadarm2 previously removed the new arrays from the Dragon cargo spacecraft and positioned them on the station's Mobile Base. The arm is then used to help carry each rolled-up array to its installation location.
NASA's published plan calls for Menon to ride the robotic arm with the hardware while Kutryk moves along the truss, secured by his tether. Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney support the pair from inside the station, including operation of Canadarm2. Controllers will activate the array after installation.
That visible work rests on rehearsals and ground support. The Canadian agency says the procedures were tested underwater and with simulators. Its robotics specialists in Longueuil support the operation, while astronaut Jenni Gibbons serves as capsule communicator, relaying instructions between the ground teams and crew.
What comes after October 29?
A second excursion is scheduled for November 5. Canada's October 16 advisory says the same two astronauts are due to install and deploy the final roll-out array then, completing the power-augmentation upgrades. It remains a scheduled operation, not an accomplished result.
FOX 35's October 29 coverage independently reported the crew and power-upgrade assignment before the outing began. NASA subsequently supplied the actual start time and is carrying live coverage through its broadcast platforms.
For viewers, the important distinction is between moving hardware, securing it, deploying it and bringing it into use. Today's departure begins that sequence; the mission's later updates establish how much of it has been completed. Which part of maintaining a laboratory in orbit would you most like explained? Share your question in the comments below.