NASA to Preview Two Spacewalks to Complete International Space Station Solar Array Upgrades

NASA will hold a press conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Tuesday, October 20, at 2 p.m. ET, to preview two upcoming spacewalks that will complete the installation and power enhancement of the International Space Station’s solar arrays.

How to Watch NASA’s Spacewalk Press Conference

NASA will stream the press conference across a variety of platforms. See where to watch online:

NASA Press Conference Participants

• Gaurang Patel, Low Earth Orbit Program Operations Integration Manager
• Garrett Henn, Flight Operations Directorate Extravehicular Activity Flight Director

Media Participation Information

U.S.-based media interested in attending in person should contact the Johnson Newsroom at [email protected] by 3 p.m. on Monday, October 19. Media participating by phone must request dial-in details by the same deadline. Media members must call in with questions at least 15 minutes before the press conference begins.

Upcoming International Space Station Spacewalks

Thursday, October 29: U.S. Spacewalk 100

During U.S. Spacewalk 100, NASA astronaut Anil Menon and CSA astronaut Joshua Kutlik will exit the station’s Quest airlock to deploy and install an International Space Station Rollout Solar Array (IROSA) on the 2A power channel.

The solar array will be the seventh IROSA and will provide additional power to support critical station operations, including safe and controlled deorbiting.

Thursday, November 5: America’s 101st Spacewalk

During America’s 101st spacewalk, Menon and Kutlik will install and deploy the eighth and final IROSA in the space station’s 3B channel, completing the station’s power enhancement upgrades.

How the New Solar Arrays Will Increase Space Station Power

The final two rollout solar arrays will complete the International Space Station’s power system augmentation. Together, the eight rollout arrays will increase available power by up to 30%, raising the station’s power-generating capacity from 160 kilowatts to approximately 215 kilowatts.

NASA will share additional coverage details for U.S. Spacewalks 100 and 101 on the agency’s live event webpage and on the space station blog near each operation.

These spacewalks will be the 285th and 286th conducted to support space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and crew below.

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Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
[email protected] / [email protected]

Sandra Jones / Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
[email protected] / [email protected]