NASA to Preview Upcoming ISS Power System Upgrades

• NASA will host a news conference on October 20 to discuss the final two spacewalks required to finish solar array installation on the International Space Station (ISS).
• The mission aims to boost the station's total power generation capacity by 30%, from 160 kW to approximately 215 kW.

News Conference Details

• Date: Tuesday, October 20, at 2 p.m. EDT.
• Location: Johnson Space Center, Houston.
• Participants: Gaurang Patel (Low Earth Orbit Program) and Garrett Hehn (Spacewalk Flight Director).
• Access: The event will be streamed online; media must contact the newsroom by October 19 for participation.

Spacewalk Schedule

• October 29 (Spacewalk 100): Astronauts Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk will install the seventh IROSA (International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array) on the 2A channel.
• November 5 (Spacewalk 101): The same crew will install the eighth and final IROSA on the 3B channel, concluding the augmentation project.
• Context: These will mark the 285th and 286th spacewalks dedicated to ISS assembly and maintenance.