The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has begun a spacewalk involving two astronauts to upgrade the electrical power system of the International Space Station (ISS).
Renewables.Az reports, citing NASA, that NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk began their spacewalk on October 29 at 7:57 a.m. EDT (3:57 p.m. Baku time).
The primary objective of the operation is to install and deploy a new International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) on the station's 2A electrical power channel.
According to NASA, this will be the seventh of eight new solar arrays planned for installation on the International Space Station. The additional arrays will increase electricity generation capacity and help ensure a reliable power supply for critical station operations.
The spacewalk is expected to last more than six and a half hours. It marks the 285th spacewalk conducted in support of the station's assembly, maintenance and upgrades.
NASA plans to conduct another spacewalk on November 5, during which the eighth and final IROSA solar array will be installed and deployed on the station's 3B electrical power channel.
Once all eight new solar arrays are installed, the station's electricity generation capacity is expected to increase from 160 kilowatts to approximately 215 kilowatts, representing an increase of up to 30%.
The upgraded solar power system will support scientific research and daily operations aboard the International Space Station, as well as critical activities associated with its eventual safe and controlled deorbit.
