ISS to host first spacewalk by Frenchwoman
French astronaut Sophie Adenot became the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk at the International Space Station, working alongside American astronaut Anil Menon. While the pair successfully removed a faulty communication antenna, they were unable to install the replacement due to time constraints.
Why it matters
This mission marks a significant milestone for European space exploration and international cooperation in orbital maintenance.
Sophie Adenot is set to become the first French female astronaut to conduct a spacewalk (Jim WATSON) Sophie Adenot became the first French female astronaut to venture outside the International Space Station (ISS) for a spacewalk on Tuesday, accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon.
During the nearly six-and-a-half hour mission, the two astronauts attempted to replace an antenna that allows the ISS to communicate with mission control in Houston, according to NASA.
"I'm out," Adenot, 44, said after exiting the ISS, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) above the Earth. "I feel very good now."
Adenot, 44, became the second European woman to conduct a spacewalk after Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's 2022 mission.
Adenot and Menon could be heard chatting and laughing in NASA footage of their adventure.
While they successfully removed the faulty antenna, they were unable to replace it with new equipment due to time constraints, NASA said.
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