Sophie Adenot and Anil Menon replace ISS communication antenna during second spacewalk

Successful replacement of the communications antenna

On Tuesday 25 August 2026, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Anil Menon completed an extravehicular activity lasting over six hours outside the International Space Station. NASA registered the official start of the spacewalk at 12:27 GMT, corresponding to 14:27 French time. Approximately twenty minutes after the official start, Adenot exited the station airlock into darkness to join Menon on the exterior truss structure. The astronauts successfully mounted and wired the replacement Space-to-Ground antenna, a system required for high-speed data transmission between the orbital complex and the NASA mission control centre in Houston, Texas. Initial ground telemetry confirmed normal electrical power and operational data flow, with flight controllers scheduling overnight tests to evaluate long-term signal stability.

Resolving hardware delays from the first outing

The mission completed work begun during the crew's previous outing on 18 August 2026, when Adenot and Menon spent more than six hours outside dismantling the malfunctioning unit. During that first excursion, stubborn bolts and stiff electrical connectors prevented the team from finishing the installation within their allotted timeline. NASA stated that such contingency scenarios had been anticipated in planning, and commended the crew's perseverance despite online criticism. Adenot described the mechanical realities of working in orbit in a social media message.

DIY enthusiasts, mechanics, and everyone who works with their hands know this: between theory and practice, there is sometimes a gap.

After installing the fresh antenna on 25 August, the pair transferred the decommissioned assembly, which had been temporarily parked on 18 August, to a spare parts platform on the station truss.

Physical strain in the orbital vacuum

Operating outside the station at an altitude of 400 kilometres involves severe physical demands. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet explained that moving fingers inside pressurized gloves requires force comparable to repeatedly squeezing tennis balls across a six- to seven-hour work shift. Spacesuits operate at approximately one-third of standard atmospheric pressure with pure oxygen, altering astronauts' vocal pitch over mission audio loops. Pesquet described the psychological reaction to stepping outside the hull.

Beneath our feet, there is 400 kilometres of void and, at that moment, the brain sends a death signal, you must above all not be afraid.

Adenot had shared her own enthusiasm following her first spacewalk, writing that working in the vacuum was an adventure made better by teamwork.

Mission timeline and educational engagement

Adenot launched to the orbital laboratory in February 2026, becoming the first French woman and the fifth French astronaut in history to conduct a spacewalk. In preparation for the 25 August outing, she spent Sunday 23 August testing her spacesuit and verifying tools alongside Menon. Beyond station maintenance, Adenot has led public outreach initiatives, including weekly pedagogical videos and an educational experiment conducted with 260,000 French schoolchildren comparing plant growth on Earth and in microgravity. Her suit also carried a tribute to French firefighters who tackled wildfires in July. Ciel & Espace journalist Jean-Luc Dauvergne noted that her focus on scientific pedagogy offers an alternative outreach model to the Earth photography shared by previous astronauts.