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Astronauts install final solar array in station power upgrade

CBS News reports two spacewalkers installed the final solar array on the International Space Station, and a minor blanket connection issue was resolved.

Published Nov 6, 2026 · 02:04 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Two astronauts installed the eighth and final roll-out solar array on the International Space Station during a Thursday spacewalk.[CBS News]
  • The five-year upgrade began in 2021 to offset age-related degradation of the station's original solar wings, which had produced about 160 kilowatts.[CBS News]
  • Flight controllers flagged one blanket that was not generating power as expected, and a recheck resolved it. The new arrays are expected to raise output to about 215 kilowatts through the station's planned 2030 retirement.[CBS News]

Key facts

  • Two astronauts installed the eighth and final ISS roll-out solar array during a six-hour, 59-minute spacewalk on Thursday.[CBS News]
  • NASA began the five-year power-system upgrade in 2021 by installing the first roll-out solar array at the base of an original wing.[CBS News]
  • The final two arrays were delivered to the station earlier in the month aboard a SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule.[CBS News]
  • The original arrays were generating about 160 kilowatts before the first new array was installed.[CBS News]
  • The eighth array was expected to raise total station power output to about 215 kilowatts.[CBS News]
  • After flight controllers saw one blanket not generating expected power, astronauts rechecked connections during another night pass, and the problem was resolved.[CBS News]
  • Astronaut Anil Menon said the new arrays are half the size of the old ones and deliver 40 percent more power.[CBS News]

What remains uncertain

  • The 215-kilowatt total is an expected figure, not a measured one, and the source does not report post-installation output.[CBS News]
  • The 40 percent power increase is Menon's on-scene statement and is not independently quantified in the reporting.[CBS News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.