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NASA, ESA Spacewalkers Finish Installing High-Speed Antenna

NASA astronaut Anil Menon is attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm as it guides him toward the worksite where he and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot (out of frame) installed a space-to-ground antenna.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon is attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm as it guides him toward the worksite where he and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot (out of frame) installed a space-to-ground antenna on the International Space Station.
NASA

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 2:57 p.m. EDT.  

During the 6‑hour, 30‑minute spacewalk, Menon and Adenot successfully installed and connected the spare Space‑to‑Ground antenna, a critical link that enables high‑speed data transmission between NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston and the orbital complex. Afterward, they secured the failed unit, which was removed and temporarily stowed during the duo’s spacewalk on Aug. 18, to a spare‑parts platform on the station’s truss structure.

Initial checkouts of the newly installed antenna showed good power and data transmission. Flight controllers on the ground will continue testing the antenna overnight to ensure full functionality. 

U.S. spacewalk 98 was Menon’s third career spacewalk and the second for Adenot. It also was the 283rd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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