The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) confirmed the mission schedule on Monday, August 10. French European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot will perform her first extra-vehicular activity (EVA) on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Adenot will be accompanied by US astronaut Anil Menon during the spacewalk. The planned spacewalk is estimated to last approximately 6 hours.
Estimated duration of the spacewalk involving Sophie Adenot and Anil Menon.
The mission involves replacing a space-to-ground communication antenna located on the Z1 truss segment of the International Space Station (ISS). The spacewalk is identified as U.S. Spacewalk 97.
Historic milestone for French and European astronauts
Sophie Adenot will be the first French woman to perform an extra-vehicular activity. She will also be the second European woman to perform an EVA, following Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. Claudie Haigneré did not perform an EVA despite completing two missions to the ISS.
US astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway will remotely operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm to support the mission. US astronaut Jessica Meir has completed a total of six EVAs with a cumulative duration of over 42 hours.
US astronaut Anil Menon has previously completed one spacewalk lasting approximately 6.5 hours. ESA coverage of the spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 13:00 CEST, with the spacewalk itself starting at approximately 14:35 CEST.
