On Tuesday, August 18, according to Epoch Times, astronauts Anil Menon from NASA and Sophie Adenot from ESA ventured out of the International Space Station (ISS) to begin a nearly 7-hour spacewalk.
This mission, designated as US Spacewalk 97, commenced at 8:29 am on Tuesday, marking the 5th spacewalk activity on the International Space Station in 2026. It also set a new space milestone – French astronaut Sophie Adenot became the first French woman to step into the vacuum of outer space for a spacewalk, and the 5th French astronaut to perform extravehicular activities.
The spacewalk is the 31st in ESA astronaut history and the 97th US-led spacewalk starting from the Quest airlock module on the ISS, assembling as the base for the spacewalk.
Menon and Adenot’s primary objective for this operation was to replace a damaged high-speed communication antenna (SGANT) on the Z1 truss structure of the space station to ensure smooth high-frequency data and video transmission between the space station and the Houston Ground Control Center.
Outside the module, Menon, designated as EV1 with a spacesuit featuring red stripes, utilized the 56-foot Canadian robotic arm Canadarm2 for high-altitude tasks. Adenot, identified as EV2 without stripes, secured herself to the outer wall of the space station to assist.
Inside the module, NASA astronauts Flight Engineer Jack Hathaway and Station Commander Jessica Meir closely monitored the two astronauts in the vacuum environment and skillfully operated the robotic arm to provide comprehensive support.
With this being Menon’s second high-difficulty spacewalk within 12 days (following the successful execution of “US Spacewalk 96” on August 6), it showcased his top-notch physical stamina and adaptability to challenging tasks since his first space journey.
As core members of the “Expedition 75” crew on the International Space Station and the European “Epsilon” mission, the joint spacewalk by the two astronauts once again highlighted the depth and achievements of the long-term cooperation between the US and Europe in near-Earth orbit. As of press time, the mission is proceeding according to plan, with NASA Live’s official website and various online platforms live-streaming this record-breaking spacewalk.