21/08/2026
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After a successful EVA-97 on Tuesday 18 August, watch ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot venture into the vacuum of space for the second time on Tuesday 25 August, during EVA-98.
Join the livestream coverage on ESA WebTV and ESA’s YouTube channel at 12:00 BST/13:00 CEST.
Together with NASA astronaut Anil Menon, Sophie will exit the International Space Station from the Quest airlock at approximately 13:35 BST/14:35 CEST to install a Space-To-Ground antenna (SGANT), a critical communication system NASA uses to transmit data and enable high-speed communication between mission control in Houston and the Space Station.
Anil and Sophie are expected to spend about six and a half hours outside the orbital complex, installing and connecting a spare antenna to restore full redundancy to the Station following the failure of SGANT 2 in November 2025.
Sophie first exited the Station on 18 August during EVA-97. During the 6-hour, 23-minute spacewalk, Sophie and Anil completed the removal of the failed antenna. Stuck bolts and connectors delayed the duo’s work, preventing them from installing the spare antenna as planned during that first EVA.
On the day itself, Sophie and Anil will be helped into their suits by NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway. As Extravehicular Crew Member 1 (EV1), Anil will be wearing red stripes on his spacesuit, while Sophie (EV2) will wear a spacesuit without stripes.
From inside the Station, commander Jessica Meir and flight engineer Jack Hathaway will operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm to assist the spacewalkers.
Facts and figures
- 2nd spacewalk by Sophie Adenot
- 5th French astronaut to perform a spacewalk
- 13th spacewalk by a French astronaut
- 32nd spacewalk by a European astronaut
- 6th spacewalk during the εpsilon mission