Spacewalk to Replace Faulty Antenna Ends Early
During a recent extravehicular activity, NASA astronauts Menon and Adenot removed a malfunctioning communications antenna from the International Space Station. The crew discovered that the spare antenna could not be installed within the allotted time, leaving the replacement incomplete.
This EVA marked the 282nd spacewalk devoted to station assembly and maintenance since 1998, the fifth such sortie this year. It was Menon’s fifth spacewalk overall and Adenot’s first, making her the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk.
Cumulative EVA time aboard the ISS now totals 74 days, 10 hours and 44 minutes. The figure underscores the sustained effort required to maintain and upgrade the orbital outpost over nearly three decades.
Although the planned installation of the spare antenna was postponed, the defective unit was safely jettisoned to eliminate any risk to the station. Mission controllers will assess the next steps to restore full antenna functionality and ensure reliable communications for the orbiting laboratory.