Spacewalkers Finish ISS’s Final Solar Array, Powering 26 Years of Human Presence

When the ISS’s original solar panels began to dim after 15 years, NASA’s solution was a lightweight, motor‑free array that could be unfurled by the potential energy stored in its rolled‑up booms. On Nov. 5, Expedition 75 flight engineers Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk completed the station’s eighth and final roll‑out solar array (iROSA) during a 6‑hour‑59‑minute spacewalk.

The two astronauts carried a 750‑pound module from a temporary stowage platform to the starboard side of the 3B power channel using Canadarm2. After mounting the bracket kit, Menon attached the cables, only to find the shunt current was half of what the ground team expected. With the array already generating electricity in sunlight, the crew had to wait for the ISS to slip into Earth’s shadow before they could safely inspect the connectors.

While the station drifted in darkness, they cleaned the worksite and returned the robotic arm to its park position. When the ground team confirmed good shunt currents, the array unfurled in about ten minutes, extending to a full 63‑foot length without a motor. The new iROSA brings 30% more electricity to the station, and each of the eight arrays is half the size of the old ones while delivering 40% more power.

The upgrade was essential because the original panels were already past their design life, and the additional energy will keep the ISS operational through its planned retirement and controlled deorbit in late 2030.

Beyond the numbers, the final array marks a milestone in human spaceflight: 26 years of continuous human presence on the ISS.

Menon’s comment, “We got it done!” echoes the crew’s perseverance, and the successful deployment demonstrates how ingenuity and teamwork can extend the life of a space habitat.

As the station’s power system now supports its final years, the story of the iROSA reminds us that even in the harsh environment of orbit, a well‑engineered, low‑maintenance solution can keep humanity’s outpost alive.