Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon
completed his first spacewalk outside the International Space Station
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Indian-origin NASA
astronaut Anil Menon completed his first spacewalk outside the International
Space Station (ISS) on 6 August 2026.
¨
The operation was
designated US Spacewalk 96.
¨
The spacewalk lasted 6
hours and 27 minutes and ended at 3:00 p.m. EDT, which was 12:30 a.m. IST on 7
August 2026.
¨
Extravehicular Activity
(EVA) refers to work performed by astronauts outside a spacecraft or space
station.
¨
Spacewalks are used for
assembly, maintenance, repairs and installation of equipment on orbital
platforms such as the ISS.
¨
During the spacewalk,
Anil Menon and Jessica Meir worked on the Starboard 6 truss segment of the ISS.
¨
They installed mounting
hardware on the 3B power channel.
¨
They also routed
electrical cabling for a future Roll-Out Solar Array.
¨
The astronauts wrapped
the truss struts with multi-layer insulation.
¨
The International Space
Station (ISS) is a modular orbital laboratory used for scientific research and
station maintenance.
¨
Roll-Out Solar Arrays
(iROSAs) are deployable solar power systems designed to increase the ISS’s
electrical power generation capacity.
¨
Jessica Meir completed
her sixth spacewalk during this EVA.
¨
Anil Menon completed his
maiden spacewalk.
¨
The EVA was the 281st
spacewalk dedicated to ISS assembly and maintenance.
