NASA, ESA astronauts set for spacewalk to replace key antenna

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot are scheduled for US Spacewalk 97 on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, to replace a crucial communications antenna on the International Space Station. The antenna provides a high-speed link between the station and NASA's Mission Control Centre in Houston for data and voice communications. This essential maintenance, expected to last about six and a half hours, marks Menon's second spacewalk in two weeks and Adenot's first, making her the first French woman and second European woman to perform a spacewalk. The operation is vital for maintaining the continuously inhabited orbiting laboratory's communication capabilities.