NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have commenced a vital spacewalk to replace a high-speed communications antenna on the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot began the operation on August 18, 2026, by switching their suits to battery power at approximately 8:35 a.m. EDT . The spacewalk, designated U.S. Spacewalk 97, is expected to last about six and a half hours as the duo works to replace a failed Space-to-Ground antenna that provides a high-speed data link between the station and Mission Control in Houston .
This marks the second spacewalk for Menon and the first for Adenot, who is making history as the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk . The astronauts exited the Quest airlock and are working on the station’s Z1 truss segment, where Menon will ride the Canadarm2 robotic arm while Adenot is tethered to the station . The operation is the 282nd spacewalk in support of station assembly and maintenance .
The antenna replacement is essential maintenance for the orbiting laboratory, which has been continuously inhabited for over 25 years . NASA has provided live coverage of the event through its NASA+ streaming service, YouTube, and Amazon Prime, with the broadcast beginning at approximately 7:00 a.m. EDT
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Accra Daily Mail, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
