Why in News?
Sophie Adenot, an astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA), has become the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS). She completed the nearly 6.5-hour spacewalk on 18 August 2026 along with American astronaut Anil Menon.
Key Highlights
- Sophie Adenot is the first French woman to perform a spacewalk.
- She and Anil Menon spent nearly six and a half hours outside the ISS.
- The astronauts worked around 400 km above Earth.
- Their main task was to remove a faulty antenna used for communication between the ISS and mission control in Houston.
- The faulty antenna was successfully removed, but the astronauts could not install its replacement because of time constraints.
- Adenot became the second European woman to conduct a spacewalk after Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who performed a spacewalk in 2022.
- French President Emmanuel Macron described Adenot as a symbol of French pride.
Spacewalk
A spacewalk, officially called extravehicular activity (EVA), is an activity in which an astronaut leaves a spacecraft or space station while wearing a specialised spacesuit.
Spacewalks are carried out for activities such as:
- Repairing or replacing equipment
- Installing scientific instruments
- Maintaining spacecraft systems
- Conducting experiments outside the spacecraft