NASA, ESA astronauts conduct spacewalk to replace ISS antenna

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot spent nearly six and a half hours outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, trying to replace a Space-to-Ground antenna.

The antenna is a critical link for high-speed communications between the ISS and Mission Control Center in Houston.

The pair managed to remove the faulty equipment, but ran out of time before they could install a new one, NASA said.

Adenot became only the second European woman to conduct a spacewalk, following Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti in 2022.

It was Menon's second spacewalk and Adenot's first, and the 282nd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance and upgrades, according to NASA.