Anil Menon, Sophie Adenot Begin Spacewalk to Replace ISS Antenna
Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot stepped outside the International Space Station for a major communications-system upgrade.
India, Aug 19 : Indian origin astronaut Anil Menon and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot ventured outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday to replace a space to ground communications antenna, undertaking a crucial maintenance operation aboard the orbital laboratory.
The spacewalk began at 8:37 am EDT and was scheduled to continue for around six hours and 30 minutes. The astronauts moved toward the Z1 truss, a central structural section of the station’s backbone, to carry out work on the antenna system.
For Menon, the operation marked his second spacewalk. The NASA astronaut, who has roots in Kerala, had previously participated in an extravehicular activity earlier this month alongside NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.
The mission also marked a historic milestone for Adenot. The European Space Agency astronaut became the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk, adding a significant achievement to her career in human spaceflight.
As the two astronauts completed their initial buddy checks before beginning the main task, Mission Control in Houston welcomed Adenot to the spacewalk. The pair then proceeded with preparations for the antenna replacement.
The communications equipment plays an important role in the station’s operations. NASA relies on the space-to-ground antenna to transmit data and maintain high-speed communications between the ISS and Mission Control in Houston.
The latest extravehicular activity was the 282nd spacewalk conducted in support of space station assembly, maintenance and upgrades. Such operations are essential for replacing ageing hardware, installing new equipment and ensuring the continued functioning of the orbiting facility.
Menon’s previous spacewalk earlier in August lasted six hours and 27 minutes. During that operation, he and Meir worked on the station’s power infrastructure in preparation for the eventual installation of another roll out solar array.
The latest antenna replacement is part of continuing maintenance efforts as the ISS approaches three decades of uninterrupted human presence in orbit. Regular upgrades and repairs remain vital to sustaining the station’s scientific research, communications and other activities.
