NASA previews two spacewalks to complete station solar arrays

NASA previewed two upcoming spacewalks that will finish solar array installation and power augmentation on the International Space Station. The preview was available through a news conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston and streams on multiple platforms.

NASA previewed two upcoming spacewalks. The news conference was at Johnson Space Center in Houston and streamed through multiple platforms.

Gaurang Patel and Garrett Hehn were named for the news conference. Media could join by phone by the same deadline, and the media listing said 15 minutes.

Both spacewalks list NASA astronaut Anil Menon and CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk as crew. CSA stands for Canadian Space Agency.

U.S. spacewalk 100 involves the Quest airlock, the 2A electrical power channel, and an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array payload identified as the seventh IROSA.

That IROSA is meant to provide additional power and to support critical station operations, including safe and controlled deorbit.

U.S. spacewalk 101 uses the same crew and includes an IROSA payload on the 3B channel, designated the eighth and final IROSA. It is described as completing power augmentation upgrades.

The final two roll-out solar arrays complete power system augmentation, and the station's vehicle specification is listed as 160 kilowatts.

Milestone numbers 285th and 286th are listed for U.S. spacewalks 100 and 101, which support station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

The final two roll-out arrays complete power system augmentation, and the eighth array is the final IROSA.

For readers tracking the lunar industry, the relevant facts are the completed power upgrades, the 160 kilowatts station specification, and the stated support for critical station operations, including safe, controlled deorbit.

NASA will share additional coverage details closer to each operation.