French astronaut Sophie Adenot gears up for second spacewalk after historic first
Sophie Adenot, the first French woman to walk in space, is set to conduct her second extravehicular activity on the International Space Station on Tuesday. She and NASA astronaut Anil Menon will replace a communication antenna during a spacewalk expected to last about six and a half hours. Adenot made history on August 18 when she performed her first spacewalk.
Adenot's second spacewalk came just one week after her groundbreaking first EVA on August 18, when she became the first French woman to venture outside the ISS. The 44-year-old engineer and former test pilot spent the weekend preparing with crewmate Anil Menon, checking suits and equipment before Tuesday's antenna replacement task.
Her mission places her in a select group of French spacewalkers — only four French citizens preceded her outside the spacecraft. She is also only the second Frenchwoman ever to reach orbit, following Claudie Haigneré. Thomas Pesquet, the last French astronaut to perform EVAs, completed six during two ISS stays.
Adenot's achievement may inspire greater interest in space careers among women across Europe, particularly in France where female astronaut representation remains limited. Her visible enthusiasm for spacewalking could help normalize women's participation in high-risk technical roles, potentially influencing young people's educational and professional choices in STEM fields. The mission also reinforces European collaboration in space exploration, which may strengthen public support for continued ESA investment in crewed programs.