French astronaut Sophie Adenot completes historic first spacewalk
French astronaut Sophie Adenot completes first spacewalk by a French woman.
Event / Science
ISS Antenna Replacement Mission
French astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted her first spacewalk on August 18, 2026, becoming the first French woman to perform extravehicular activity. During the 6+ hour mission with American astronaut Anil Menon, they removed a defective communication antenna from the International Space Station. A follow-up spacewalk scheduled for August 25 will complete the antenna installation.
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2026-08-21 to 2026-11-10 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 21 Aug, 13:52 UTC
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What happened
Sophie Adenot scheduled for second spacewalk to complete antenna installation
French astronaut Sophie Adenot was scheduled to conduct a second spacewalk on August 25, 2026, with American astronaut Anil Menon to complete the installation of a new communication antenna on the International Space Station. The spacewalk was planned to begin at 14:35 French time and last approximately 6.5 hours. If time permits, they will also attempt to replace a retroreflector device outside the ISS, with contingency for completion during a maintenance spacewalk on September 1, 2026.
Sophie Adenot becomes second French citizen to reach space
Sophie Adenot achieved the distinction of becoming the second French citizen to travel to space in February 2026, more than 25 years after Claudie Haigneré, the first French woman in space. Her achievement was later recognized by French President Emmanuel Macron as a source of national pride.
French astronaut Sophie Adenot completes first spacewalk by a French woman
French astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted her first extravehicular activity (spacewalk) on August 18, 2026, alongside American astronaut Anil Menon. During the 6+ hour spacewalk at 400 kilometers above Earth, they removed a defective Space-to-Ground (SGANT) communication antenna but were unable to install the replacement due to time constraints. At 44 years old, Adenot became the second European and first French woman to conduct a spacewalk, following Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti in 2022.
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