Canadian Astronaut Set to Conduct Canada's First ISS Spacewalk in Seven Years
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and NASA's Anil Menon are scheduled to step outside the International Space Station on October 29 to deploy a new solar array, the first of two planned outings that together will raise the station's power output by roughly 30 percent.
Canadian Space Agency astronaut and Royal Canadian Air Force Colonel Joshua Kutryk is scheduled to carry out his first-ever spacewalk on October 29, alongside NASA astronaut and U.S. Space Force Colonel Anil Menon — marking the first spacewalk by a Canadian in seven years, since David Saint-Jacques ventured outside in April 2019. The extravehicular activity (EVA) is set to begin at 8 a.m. EDT and is expected to last roughly 6 hours and 45 minutes. During this outing, the pair will deploy the seventh International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA). These newer arrays are designed to overlay the station's ageing, decades-old panels, which have been gradually degrading. A second EVA, planned for no earlier than November 5, will see the astronauts install the eighth and final iROSA using a "leapfrog" technique to reach beyond Canadarm2's range. Once all eight are in place and running, the station's power supply is expected to climb from 160 kilowatts to about 215 kilowatts — a rise of roughly 30 percent. CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons will serve as capsule communicator for both spacewalks from Mission Control. Inside the station, NASA astronauts Luke Delaney and Jessica Watkins will operate Canadarm2 to help position Menon and the array at the installation site.
