Sophie Adenot to become first French woman to conduct spacewalk at ISS
On Tuesday, Sophie Adenot will step outside the International Space Station alongside American astronaut Anil Menon, making her the first French woman ever to
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French Astronaut Sophie Adenot Prepares for Historic Spacewalk at the ISS
Poinews.com – On Tuesday, Sophie Adenot will step outside the International Space Station alongside American astronaut Anil Menon, making her the first French woman ever to perform an extravehicular activity. NASA has confirmed the operation is slated to begin at approximately 1435 CET and will run for six and a half hours. Its primary objective is to swap out a space-to-ground antenna mounted on the orbital platform.
Historical Context
At 44, Adenot will follow in the footsteps of Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who completed a spacewalk in 2022 and became the first European woman to do so. The mission also marks a milestone in French spaceflight: Adenot became the second Frenchwoman to reach orbit in February, trailing behind pioneer Claudie Haignere. The most recent French astronaut to walk in space was Thomas Pesquet, who logged six spacewalks across two ISS expeditions.
Preparation and Mission Purpose
Aboard the station, orbiting roughly 400 kilometres above Earth, Adenot has devoted the preceding days to intensive rehearsal for the task. The antenna targeted for replacement is critical to high-speed data links between the ISS and mission control in Houston.
“A successful (spacewalk) starts long before the hatch opens and that’s where my focus has been these past few days: rehearsing, preparing and focusing,” Adenot wrote on X on Sunday.
Support Crew Inside the Station
From within the module, flight engineer Jack Hathaway and station commander Jessica Meir will oversee the spacewalkers and manage the robotic arm, NASA confirmed. Adenot herself played a supporting role during the previous EVA, assisting Meir and Menon from inside the station.
“While the spacewalkers are the ones out in the spotlight, (extravehicular activities) are very much a team effort and it’s always a privilege to support the crew from within,” Adenot noted following that earlier spacewalk.
Training and Career
Before joining the astronaut corps, Adenot trained as an engineer and served as a test pilot — a technical background that informs her approach to complex orbital operations.
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