Sophie Adenot Becomes First French Woman to Perform an ISS Spacewalk

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted a six-and-a-half-hour extravehicular activity (U.S. Spacewalk 97) outside the International Space Station (ISS). The crew exited the Quest airlock and worked along the station’s Z1 truss to replace a failed space-to-ground communications antenna with a spare unit. The antenna is described by NASA as essential for high-speed data and voice links between the ISS and Mission Control in Houston. Flight engineer Jack Hathaway and station commander Jessica Meir operated the Canadarm2 robotic arm from inside the station to position the spacewalkers.

Astronauts set for spacewalk to replace ISS antenna ISS to host first spacewalk by Frenchwoman Sophie Adenot Makes History as First French Woman to Conduct Spacewalk Outside ISS France 24

The operation is part of routine maintenance that keeps the ISS functional after more than 25 years of continuous habitation. Adenot, a former test pilot, had been preparing for the EVA for several days aboard the orbiting laboratory. Her participation marks the first French female spacewalk and makes her the second European woman to perform an EVA, following Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti’s 2022 mission. The last French astronaut to walk in space was Thomas Pesquet, who completed six EVAs across two missions.

Sophie Adenot Makes History as First French Woman to Conduct Spacewalk Outside ISS ISS to host first spacewalk by Frenchwoman Astronauts set for spacewalk to replace ISS antenna France 24

• EVA duration: ? 6 hours 30 minutes.

Sophie Adenot Makes History as First French Woman to Conduct Spacewalk Outside ISS

• Designation: U.S. Spacewalk 97.

Astronauts set for spacewalk to replace ISS antenna

• Antenna function: high-speed communications and data transmission between the ISS and Houston.

Astronauts set for spacewalk to replace ISS antenna

• Adenot’s age: 44 years; Menon’s second spacewalk within two weeks (previous 6 h 27 m EVA on Aug. 6).

ISS to host first spacewalk by Frenchwoman

NASA emphasized that the antenna “provides a high-speed communications link” critical for ongoing scientific operations. The agency also stressed the collaborative nature of EVAs, with internal crew members supporting the spacewalkers via the robotic arm.

Sophie Adenot Makes History as First French Woman to Conduct Spacewalk Outside ISS

• “A successful (spacewalk) starts long before the hatch opens, and that's where my focus has been these past few days: rehearsing, preparing and focusing,” — Sophie Adenot

ISS to host first spacewalk by Frenchwoman

• “While the spacewalkers are the ones out in the spotlight, (extravehicular activities) are very much a team effort, and it's always a privilege to support the crew from within,” — Sophie Adenot

ISS to host first spacewalk by Frenchwoman

*Additional note:* Adenot addressed a press conference and planted a tree at ESA’s Cologne facility on January 5, 2026.

ISS to host first spacewalk by Frenchwoman