Two NASA astronauts stepped out into the void today to upgrade the International Space Station’s power system and keep America leading in space.
Story Snapshot
- NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon are conducting U.S. Spacewalk 96 outside the International Space Station to upgrade its power system for future solar arrays.
- The crew is building and installing a hardware “modification kit” on a key power channel to support a new roll‑out solar array that will boost the station’s energy supply.
- This spacewalk is part of a broader 2026 campaign of U.S. spacewalks focused on maintenance and real upgrades, including recent work on the station’s main robotic arm and earlier solar array prep.
- Under President Trump, NASA is still investing in core engineering work—power, communications, and robotics—rather than chasing trendy “woke” projects that don’t strengthen American capability.
Americans in Space: What Today’s Spacewalk Is Doing
NASA says astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon are leaving the International Space Station through the Quest airlock for a planned spacewalk focused on power upgrades. The agency briefed that this is U.S. Spacewalk 96, the first in a series of August walks aimed at improving the station’s systems. Their main job today is to work on the station’s backbone truss, where much of the power hardware sits, and prepare it for a new solar array.
Mission plans show the pair will spend about six and a half to seven hours outside the station, moving carefully along handrails, tethered so they stay close to the orbiting lab. They are carrying a pre‑built “modification kit,” which they will bolt into place on one of the power channels that feeds electricity across the station’s structure. Once installed, this kit will let a future roll‑out solar array plug into the existing system without heavy redesign work.
Power Upgrades: Why These Solar Arrays Matter
NASA has spent the last several years using spacewalks to get the station ready for new roll‑out solar arrays, known as ISS Roll‑Out Solar Arrays, or IROSAs. These newer panels unroll like a rug and can add up to about thirty percent more power to older systems, according to earlier upgrade reports. More power means more science, more communications capacity, and more margin to support visiting vehicles and new technology tests.
Earlier this year, spacewalks by Jessica Meir and Chris Williams installed mounts and modification kits on other power channels, laying the groundwork for additional arrays. Another recent walk by the same team replaced a failed wrist joint on Canadarm2, the station’s main robotic arm used to capture cargo ships and move big hardware around the exterior. Together, these tasks show a clear pattern: steady, methodical work to extend the station’s life instead of letting a multi‑billion‑dollar asset decay in orbit.
Series of Spacewalks: A Busy Year of Real Maintenance
NASA’s spacewalk log for 2026 lists multiple U.S. and Russian‑led excursions, with American crews taking on solar power and robotics work. In March, Meir and Williams carried out U.S. Spacewalk 94 to prepare the 2A power channel for an ISS Roll‑Out Solar Array, installing brackets and routing power cables on the port side of the truss. In June, they stepped out again for a seven‑hour, twenty‑minute operation to fix Canadarm2’s wrist joint after a motor problem in May.
NASA briefings describe today’s U.S. Spacewalk 96 as the first of three August excursions, with follow‑on walks planned for communications and electronics maintenance. That means crews will not only boost power but also keep data links and control systems healthy, which are vital for every experiment and visiting spacecraft. For readers tired of Washington waste, this kind of work is a reminder that some federal dollars still go to hands‑on engineering that protects a major national investment in space.
Why Conservative Readers Should Care
Spacewalks like this one reflect core conservative values even far above Earth. Two highly trained Americans are doing dangerous manual work, using proven tools, to maintain and upgrade hardware that serves U.S. interests and long‑term research. They operate in a tight chain of command, with clear mission plans, strict safety rules, and real accountability through recorded procedures and public coverage. There are no social‑engineering side agendas in these tasks—only physics, power, and performance.
NASA Astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon are preparing for the first of a series of EVAs for Expedition 75.
The goal for today's spacewalk is to prepare the station's 3B power channel to receive an ISS Roll-Out Solar Array.
Live Telemetry: https://t.co/dCiTrBkdh3… pic.twitter.com/zr9l8Kn5ok
— Jay Keegan (@_jaykeegan_) August 6, 2026
Under President Trump, NASA continues to support this sort of practical mission instead of turning the agency into a platform for fashionable causes. Strong power systems and a working robotic arm help ensure American crews can keep using the station, test new technology, and support commercial partners without relying on rivals or globalist bodies to carry the load. For readers watching inflation, border chaos, and endless culture fights, today’s spacewalk is a rare story of federal work that directly strengthens American capability.
Sources:
youtube.com, nasa.gov, space.com, reddit.com
