Sophie Adenot Becomes First French Woman to Perform Spacewalk

Sophie Adenot became the first French woman to perform a spacewalk on Tuesday, August 18, while on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon, the 44 year old engineer and former test pilot spent approximately six and a half hours outside the orbital laboratory. The primary objective of the mission was to replace a Space to Ground antenna (SGANT), which is critical for high speed data transmission between the ISS and the mission control center in Houston, Texas.

The operation was supported from inside the station by ISS commander Jessica Meir and flight engineer Jack Hathaway, who operated the robotic arm. While Anil Menon worked from the Canadarm2 robotic arm, Adenot remained tethered to the exterior of the laboratory. The spacewalk had been delayed from its original August 13 date because a carbon dioxide sensor in Menon's suit provided an unexpected reading during a previous outing.

Adenot is the second European woman to conduct a spacewalk, following Italy's Samantha Cristoforetti in 2022. She is also the second French citizen to fly in space, following Claudie Haigneré, though Haigneré did not perform a spacewalk during her missions. The last French astronaut to conduct extravehicular activities was Thomas Pesquet, who performed six spacewalks across two missions.

French President Emmanuel Macron praised the achievement on social media, describing Adenot as a symbol of French pride and a horizon for girls dreaming of space.