French astronaut Sophie Adenot completes first spacewalk by a French woman

French astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Tuesday, becoming the first French woman to do so. She was accompanied by NASA astronaut Anil Menon for the extravehicular activity, which began at 12:35 GMT and lasted six and a half hours.

The primary objective was to replace a space-to-ground antenna that provides high-speed communications and data transmission between the orbital laboratory and mission control in Houston. Adenot, 44, had spent several days aboard the station rehearsing procedures and preparing equipment for the operation.

Adenot is the second European woman to conduct a spacewalk, following Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's excursion in 2022. She became the second Frenchwoman to fly in space earlier this year, after Claudie Haigneré, and the first French astronaut to walk in space since Thomas Pesquet.

Inside the station, flight engineer Jack Hathaway and commander Jessica Meir monitored the spacewalkers and operated the robotic arm to assist with the antenna replacement. NASA emphasized that the activity relied on extensive coordination between the crew outside and the team inside.

Adenot described the preparation period as the foundation for a successful spacewalk, noting on social media that her focus had been on rehearsing and readying systems before the hatch opened. She previously supported a similar excursion from inside the station.

An engineer and former test pilot, Adenot was selected as an astronaut by the European Space Agency in 2021. Her current mission marks her first long-duration stay aboard the ISS.

The antenna upgrade is part of ongoing maintenance to sustain the station's communication infrastructure for scientific research and operational command links.

No anomalies were reported during the extravehicular activity, and both astronauts returned safely to the station's interior after completing the task.