Watch: Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Anil Menon embarks on maiden ISS spacewalk

Published 6 August 2026 · science

For Anil Menon, Thursday's mission represents years of preparation culminating in one defining moment. Preparing the ISS for its next chapter A career-defining milestone The

For Anil Menon, Thursday's mission represents years of preparation culminating in one defining moment. Preparing the ISS for its next chapter A career-defining milestone The science behind the mission One of three August spacewalks Safety first in the vacuum of space India's growing footprint in space exploration reached another landmark on Thursday as Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon stepped outside the International Space Station (ISS) for the very first time.For Menon, it will be more than just a routine maintenance mission.It will mark his maiden spacewalk — one of the most demanding tasks any astronaut can undertake — as he ventures into the vacuum of space to help upgrade the orbiting laboratory's power system.The si and-a-half-hour Extravehicular Activity (EVA) will see Menon team up with veteran NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, who is embarking on her sixth spacewalk. Together, the duo will carry out critical work that will help keep the ISS powered for years to come.The astronauts' primary objective is to install hardware on the station's 3B power channel to pave the way for another International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA), scheduled to be installed later this year.The new panel will become the seventh IROSA attached to the ISS.

These advanced solar arrays significantly boost the station's electricity generation, ensuring a stable power supply for hundreds of scientific experiments, life-support systems and future missions aboard the orbiting laboratory.The upgrades are also part of NASA's long-term strategy to maximise the ISS's operational life while preparing for its eventual controlled de-orbit later in the next decade.For Anil Menon, Thursday's mission represents years of preparation culminating in one defining moment.Selected by NASA as part of the 2021 astronaut class, Menon brought an unusual mix of expertise to the space programme. A physician, mechanical engineer and former emergency medicine specialist, he also served as SpaceX's first flight surgeon, helping develop medical support systems for commercial human spaceflight.Born in the United States to an Indian father from Kerala and a Ukrainian mother, Menon has become one of the most prominent Indian-origin astronauts representing NASA.Ahead of the mission, Menon shared his excitement on social media, posting on X.For first-time astronauts, spacewalks are considered among the toughest assignments in human spaceflight.Every movement must be carefully rehearsed, every tool securely tethered and every action coordinated with mission controllers on Earth.