From orbit, French astronaut Sophie Adenot calls antenna repair a 'miracle' after two spacewalks
French astronaut Sophie Adenot, speaking from the International Space Station, said her two spacewalks to replace a faulty antenna were a 'miracle' given the mechanical setbacks encountered. She and her crewmate Anil Menon completed the installation on August 25 after a first attempt failed. Adenot also described seeing 'blatant' signs of climate change from orbit.
The Space-to-Ground Antenna replacement was critical for maintaining reliable communications between the ISS and Houston mission control. Adenot's first spacewalk marked a historic milestone as the first by a French woman, but seized bolts and connectors forced the crew to abandon that attempt. The successful follow-up on August 25 required six and a half hours of work alongside crewmate Anil Menon.
From her vantage point 400 kilometers above Earth, Adenot documented environmental changes including wildfire smoke drifting on winds, shrinking lakes, and the rapidly receding Aral Sea. She noted France's landscape shifted from lush green in February to parched, straw-colored tones by summer. A third spacewalk with Jessica Meir is scheduled before September 1.
Adenot's firsthand testimony from orbit could sharpen public awareness of climate change's visible consequences, lending an astronaut's credibility to environmental concerns. Her successful spacewalk may also inspire interest in space careers, particularly among women