From Dragon's Trunk to the Truss: CRS-35's Solar Array Is Now Powering the ISS

During the 100th US spacewalk from the International Space Station on October 19th, 2026 Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk donned their EVA suits and entered the airlock and close the hatch to the Space Station and check suits and then vent the airlock before proceeding into the vacuum of space to install the seventh of the eight iRosa solar panels to help power the orbital laboratory for years to come. The seventh and eighth iRosa panels were delivered in the unpressurized trunk attached to a SpaceX crew dragon cargo vehicle on the CRS 35 mission. NASA Administrator Jared Issacman said recently that he wants a permanent presence in low earth orbit which seems to indicate that the ISS will not be decommissioned until private space stations are deemed stable and safe to take over for the ISS.

During the spacewalk the solar panel was unbolted from Dragon's trunk and it was moved using the Canada-arm 2 by Menon and then bolted to the truss on the ISS. The panel was then unrolled and put in place while the station was in a daytime pass and successfully and correctly readied for hookup to the electrical system of the ISS . Anil and Kutryk had to wait for a nighttime pass to hook up the iRosa panel. This was extremely important because having the solar panel creating electricity while you are trying to hook it up could be an electrifying situation. During a nighttime pass, they successfully hooked the solar panel to the station and verified its functionality. Due to the efficiency of Menon and Kutryk they ran ahead of schedule which allowed them to get ahead on some tasks needed for the 101st American spacewalk on November 5th.

With the upgrade nearly complete, they are mere days away from the eighth and final iRosa panel being installed as long as everything goes according to plan on November 5th, 2026! Once this is complete, the five-year power upgrade will be complete that will allow the ISS to serve the science community for years to come. This was desperately needed as the current solar arrays are well over a decade old and in order to get to the current 2030 deorbit plan using a US vehicle, which is thought to be a Dragon XL with upgraded Draco thrusters in the trunk, the station needed upgraded power. Given the statements by NASA Administrator, the hope is to have private space station(s) operational by then if they are not the ISS' mission might be extended into the 2030s. The power provided to the Space Station by the 8 iRosa panels is integral to continue the science as long as NASA deems it necessary.