WASHINGTON — NASA astronauts Anil Menon and Jessica Meir successfully completed a six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday (August 6, 2026). The mission focused on installing structural modification kits on the station’s exterior to prepare the orbital laboratory for future solar array additions.
The spacewalk—marking the 281st in support of space station assembly and maintenance—began at 8:33 a.m. EDT (6:03 p.m. IST) on Thursday (August 5) and concluded at 3:00 p.m. EDT (12:30 a.m. IST Friday). The excursion represented the sixth spacewalk for Jessica Meir and the first for Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon.
Exiting through the Quest airlock, the duo centered their primary tasks on the Starboard 6 truss segment. Positioned on an articulating portable foot restraint, Menon worked from the truss to assemble mounting hardware on the 3B power channel. The crew subsequently routed power cables meant to connect future International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs) to the station’s grid before securing multi-layer insulation over the structural struts.
The structural upgrades will support the eventual deployment of two remaining iROSA units scheduled for delivery later this year, joining six previously installed assemblies deployed since 2021. NASA confirmed that these added power capabilities will bolster critical station systems while also supporting long-term plans for the controlled, safe deorbit of the ISS.
This spacewalk serves as the initial mission in a planned series of three extravehicular activities scheduled for Expedition 75 during August. The next spacewalk on August 13 will involve replacing a Space-to-Ground antenna to preserve high-speed communications between the station and Mission Control in Houston. A third spacewalk on August 25 will focus on connecting data relay systems, preparing power channel wiring, and replacing a docking navigational aid on the Harmony module.
