Menon and Kutryk begin 100th spacewalk from Quest airlock

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk are preparing to exit the International Space Station on Thursday. The operation begins around 8 a.m. ET and marks the 285th spacewalk conducted at the orbiting laboratory. It is also the 100th time astronauts have used the Quest airlock without the space shuttle present.

The primary goal of the excursion is to install and deploy a solar array. This hardware will provide additional power to the station. Menon and Kutryk will spend several hours outside the vessel to complete the installation. NASA flight engineers Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will assist from inside the station. They will help the astronauts suit up and operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm to position the array correctly.

This event is the eighth spacewalk of the year. It serves as the latest step in a years-long project to upgrade the station's electrical systems. The crew has been working to replace older components with newer, more efficient technology. Each successful deployment adds to the station's overall power generation capacity.

The team plans to return to the exterior on November 5. Menon and Kutryk are expected to venture out again to install the final solar array. This subsequent mission will conclude the current phase of the power upgrade. Viewers can follow the live broadcast on the free NASA+ app or the agency's YouTube channel.