French astronaut Sophie Adenot makes historic spacewalk

French astronaut Sophie Adenot ventured into space on Tuesday for the first time, making history as the first French woman to perform a spacewalk. She carried out the extravehicular activity alongside American astronaut Anil Menon during their mission aboard the International Space Station.

The spacewalk began at 12:45 GMT and is expected to last around six and a half hours. According to NASA, the operation aims to replace a communications antenna known as the Space-to-Ground Antenna (SGANT).

The mission involves first removing the old antenna, then retrieving and installing the replacement on the station’s structure. The astronauts will use a specially designed tool for such operations in microgravity to make the necessary electrical connections to power the equipment.

This antenna plays a vital role in high-speed communications and data transmission between the mission control center in Houston and the International Space Station, enabling ground teams to receive scientific experiment results and more.

Meanwhile, American astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway will remain inside the station to assist Adenot and Menon with donning and removing their spacesuits, as well as operating the station’s robotic arm, which Menon will use to facilitate the antenna replacement.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his pride in the achievement on X, stating: “It’s time for women pioneers. As the first French woman to perform a spacewalk, Sophie Adenot embodies French pride and opens new horizons for young girls dreaming of infinity. She is a symbol of all possibilities.”

Adenot, 44, is the second European woman to conduct a spacewalk, following Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who completed her first in 2022.

Adenot, an aerospace engineer and former test pilot, became the second French woman to reach space in February, after Claudie Haigneré, who flew missions in 1996 and 2001. Haigneré, who inspired Adenot, trained for spacewalks but did not perform any during her missions.

Adenot’s spacewalk marks a new milestone for her and the French space program, as she is the first French woman to undertake an extravehicular activity. The last French astronaut to perform a spacewalk was Thomas Pesquet, who did so six times during his two missions on the International Space Station.