Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk to perform first spacewalk

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk will join NASA astronaut Anil Menon for a spacewalk on Thursday, during which they will install eight International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays (IROSAs). The new arrays are expected to raise the station’s power capacity from 160 kilowatts to 215 kilowatts after a second walk scheduled for Nov. 5.

The operation highlights Canada’s involvement, with CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons serving as capcom from the Johnson Space Center. The robotic arm Canadarm2, managed from the CSA’s Robotics Mission Control Centre in Longueuil, Quebec, will move each array from the mobile base to its final location; Menon will be attached to the arm while Kutryk works directly outside the station.

"I think what it means for Canada is an acknowledgement of the important role that we've been playing as part of this international collaboration," said Mathieu Caron, director of the CSA’s astronaut office.

"It's ridiculously dangerous, but we're well-prepared," said CSA astronaut David Saint-Jaques, who performed Canada’s last spacewalk in 2019.

Saint-Jaques also described the spacesuit as a “miniature spacecraft in the shape of a human body” and offered encouragement to Kutryk, adding that the experience is often considered the pinnacle of an astronaut’s career.

The spacewalk will demonstrate the integration of Canadian robotics and crew expertise in a critical ISS upgrade.