The high-stakes choreography of maintaining a space station

Space · Published 13 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Beyond the breathtaking views lies a grueling schedule of orbital maintenance. From upgrading massive solar arrays to replacing critical communication links, astronauts must execute precise, hours-long extravehicular activities to ensure the International Space Station remains operational and safe for future crews.

Maintaining the International Space Station requires a series of complex, highly coordinated spacewalks, known as EVAs. NASA's Chris Cassidy and ESA's Luca Parmitano, both Expedition 36 Flight Engineers, had spacewalks set for 9 and 16 July. Their primary objectives included preparing for a new Russian module and performing essential installations on the station's backbone.

The workload intensifies in August, with a series of three major U.S. spacewalks planned to upgrade the station's infrastructure. On August 6, astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon were tasked with installing hardware to modify the 3B power channel. This work is a precursor to the arrival of the seventh International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA), which is expected later this year. This new array is vital for providing the power necessary for critical operations, including the station's eventual safe and controlled deorbit.

Communication and navigation are also central to these missions. Replacing a Space-to-Ground antenna was the objective for Sophie Adenot and Anil Menon on 18 August, with Adenot set to be the first French woman to spacewalk. This hardware is a vital link for high-speed data transmission between Houston's Mission Control and the station. By August 25, the pair was scheduled to continue antenna replacement and potentially attempt a 'get-ahead' task: replacing a retroreflector on the Harmony module's forward port to improve navigation data for visiting spacecraft.

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