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Anil Menon will join Jessica Meir for three spacewalks outside the Space Station in August. The work will upgrade key systems and prepare the outpost for new solar arrays and future deorbit support.
Image used for representational purposes only
Washington,UPDATED: Jul 27, 2026 21:36 IST
Astronaut Anil Menon is set to undertake his first spacewalk next week, stepping out of the Space Station to help upgrade solar arrays, replace a communications antenna and install new data and power cables to support the orbital lab's operations.
NASA said in a statement on Monday that Menon will carry out three spacewalks with fellow astronaut Jessica Meir beginning August 6. The work will prepare the station for the future installation of the Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array later this year, which will provide additional power for critical station operations, including its safe and controlled deorbit.
The spacewalks are scheduled for August 6, August 13 and August 25. Menon, who traces his origins to Palakkad in Kerala, will be part of the work to prepare the orbital lab for the new solar arrays.
During the second spacewalk on August 13, the two astronauts will replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the orbital complex. NASA said the antenna is a critical communication system used to transmit data and high-speed communication between the Mission Control Centre in Houston and the space station.
During the August 25 spacewalk, the crew members will connect power channel cables and data relay systems as part of ongoing maintenance, including preparations for the space station's future deorbit. The astronauts will also replace a navigational aid used for spacecraft docking on the Harmony module's forward port, NASA said.
Last week, Menon shared photographs from orbit showing Starbase, SpaceX's launch site in South Texas. "Our view of Starbase from space! Here's to a successful launch. Send it," Menon said.
Menon, a NASA astronaut born in Minneapolis to an Indian father with roots in Kerala and a Ukrainian mother, reached the Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft on July 14. He is scheduled to spend about eight months in orbit, during which he will take part in scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and station operations, with next month's spacewalks marking a major part of that mission.
With PTI Inputs
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Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 27, 2026 21:36 IST
