Seventh IROSA Array Installed on ISS 2A Channel, Pushing Station Power Toward 215 kW for Deorbit

The spacewalk, designated U.S. EVA 100, focused on mechanical integration of the 20-kW-class Roll-Out Solar Array onto the existing truss structure. Menon and Kutryk also completed get-ahead tasks for the final 3B array scheduled for November 5. Post-installation telemetry confirmed deployment and electrical connectivity, adding incremental capacity to the station’s legacy 160 kW baseline.

The upgrade directly supports controlled deorbit operations after 2030 by ensuring redundant power for propulsion and guidance during the high-drag reentry phase. It also enables extended microgravity research and commercial module operations that would otherwise be power-constrained. Earlier IROSA deployments on channels 1A, 1B, 3A, and 4A have already demonstrated 10–12 % measured gains, validating the 30 % aggregate projection.

Prior coverage under-emphasized that the new arrays use thinner, higher-efficiency cells and tensioned deployment mechanisms that reduce mass by 30 % versus original arrays. This architecture is now baselined for Gateway and commercial LEO stations. The final installation will complete the power margin required for simultaneous operation of all U.S. and partner modules plus visiting vehicles.