Sophie Adenot becomes first French woman to conduct ISS spacewalk

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot became the first French woman to walk in space on August 18, 2026. The milestone occurred during a complex maintenance mission outside the International Space Station (ISS), marking a significant leap for French aerospace representation.

Accompanied by NASA astronaut Anil Menon, Adenot spent 6 hours and 23 minutes in the vacuum of space. The extravehicular activity (EVA) began at 8:29 a.m. EDT and concluded at 2:52 p.m. EDT. The primary objective was the removal and replacement of a failed Space-to-Ground (SGANT) antenna located on the station's Z-1 truss. While the duo successfully removed the malfunctioning unit, which had been unusable since November, they ran out of time to install the new replacement. To ensure the hardware was not lost, the astronauts tethered the failed antenna to the truss for a future installation mission.

Mission Context

The operation was conducted as part of Expedition 75. The SGANT antenna is a critical piece of infrastructure used for tracking NASA's data relay satellites, ensuring the station remains connected to ground control. During the period the antenna was offline, a second backup antenna maintained high-speed communications with Mission Control in Houston, preventing a total loss of data connectivity. Despite the backup's success, the restoration of the primary system remains a priority for station longevity.

Industry Implications

Beyond the technical goals, the mission represents a historic shift for the European Space Agency (ESA) and France. Adenot is now the fifth French citizen in history to perform a spacewalk, but the first woman from the nation to do so. This achievement breaks a long-standing gender barrier in French space exploration and serves as a high-profile demonstration of European capabilities in deep-space operations.

However, the inability to complete the antenna installation underscores the inherent volatility of orbital work. As Anil Menon noted, the experience differed from expectations, though he praised the contingency planning that allowed the team to secure the hardware safely when the clock ran out.

Next Steps

Because the replacement antenna was not installed, NASA and ESA must now schedule a follow-up EVA to complete the task. Mission controllers will monitor the tethered failed unit to ensure it remains secure until the next crew can retrieve it. For Adenot, the mission concludes with a personal victory; she expressed her gratitude to the pioneers and ground teams who enabled the historic flight.