Key Takeaways
- CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk and NASA's Anil Menon began U.S. spacewalk 101 at 8:36 a.m. EST on Nov. 5, 2026
- They are installing the eighth and final iROSA roll-out solar array, on the station's 3B power channel
- It is Kutryk's second spacewalk in a week, and the 286th spacewalk supporting the station
400 Kilometres Over Your Head, a Canadian Is Finishing the Job
At 8:36 a.m. EST this morning, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk floated out of the International Space Station's airlock and got to work — and as you read this, he is still out there.
Kutryk, wearing the suit with the red stripes as lead spacewalker EV1, is teamed up with NASA astronaut Anil Menon as EV2 on U.S. spacewalk 101. Their job is to install and deploy the eighth and final iROSA roll-out solar array, this one on the station's 3B power channel.
Once this array is in place, the station's multi-year power-upgrade program will be complete.
His Second Trip Outside in a Week
This is Kutryk's second spacewalk. His first came just days ago, on October 29, when the same pair installed the seventh roll-out array.
Today's outing is the 286th spacewalk devoted to assembling and maintaining the station, and it is expected to run about six and a half to seven hours — so it is very much still underway, with no finish to report yet.
Canada Is All Over This One
The Canadian fingerprints go well beyond the man in the red-striped suit.
Canadarm2, Canada's robotic arm, was used to position the array for installation. And the voice guiding the spacewalkers from Mission Control — the CAPCOM — belongs to fellow CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons.
One Canadian outside, one Canadian on the radio, and Canadian robotics doing the heavy lifting in between.
The Twikup Take
Eight arrays, years of work, and the last one is being bolted on by a Canadian — right now, 400 kilometres over your head.
Kutryk's second spacewalk in a week finishes the station's power upgrade.
Image: AI-generated illustration.