ESA's Sophie Adenot to become first French woman to perform spacewalk on August 18: Livestream details

The US Spacewalk 97, which was postponed two weeks ago, is on track for Tuesday, August 18. NASA astronaut Anil Menon, along with the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sophie Adenot, will step out of the International Space Station to replace an old high-speed data and communications antenna on the orbital outpost’s Z1 truss segment. The spacewalk will last about six-and-a-half hours and will mark Adenot’s debut on the maintenance job. She will be accompanied by Menon, who completed his first spacewalk with station commander Jessica Meir on August 6. Adenot, who is also on her first space mission (Crew-12), will become the first French woman to perform a spacewalk.  

Adenot and Menon, along with Meir and flight engineer Jack Hathaway, ended last week reviewing spacewalk procedures and studying the relevant maneuvers of Canadarm2, to which Menon will be attached. Meir and Hathaway will help the two spacewalkers get in and out of their spacesuits on Tuesday and will also be operating the Canadarm2 from inside the orbital laboratory. “The four astronauts gathered together on Friday and practiced simulated robotics maneuvers on a computer necessary to support the antenna replacement spacewalk. The quartet reviewed the arm’s precise movements, different operating modes, and safety procedures to ensure Menon has access to the maintenance worksites during the spacewalk,” a NASA statement from August 14 read. 

Where to watch the spacewalk live? 

Menon and Adenot’s spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 8:35 am EDT, and NASA has planned a livestream on its YouTube channel. You can also watch it live on X, Discovery+, Amazon Prime, and NASA+. 

Anil Menon’s spacesuit problem 

NASA has worked through a problem that was encountered towards the end of Menon’s spacewalk. The carbon dioxide sensor on Menon’s spacesuit indicated an unexpected data reading but returned to normal after removal of the suit. This was the issue that resulted in Spacewalk 97 getting postponed, with engineers on the ground also considering a change of spacesuits for it.

Inconsistencies in CO₂ readings make it harder to monitor a critical safety parameter, and mission controllers wouldn’t know if it exceeds acceptable limits. According to research, high levels of carbon dioxide can cause breathing difficulties, diminish an astronaut’s mental abilities, and cause headaches, limiting their ability to handle critical tasks. 

But all seems well for now, and the ISS residents are continuing with space research as usual prior to the spacewalk. Last week, Menon examined his visual and cognitive adaptations to weightlessness, while Adenot tested EasyMotion-2—a suit that sends electrical impulses and triggers muscle contractions to supplement a workout session. Hathaway, on the other hand, inspected hatch seals while Meir cleaned electronics gear and configured an ultrasound device. On the Russian side, cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev inspected laptops and configured cameras on Friday, while Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina released two spheres inside the station to calculate how external forces affect the space station as it orbits Earth.

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