Sophie Adenot Replaces ISS Antenna in 6.5-Hour Spacewalk, Marking France's First Female EVA

Q: What unexpected cable and bolt hazards forced astronauts to abandon their first antenna repair attempt in the vacuum of space?

The first repair attempt was cut short by unexpectedly stubborn electrical and data cables and hard-to-secure gimbal hardware. NASA’s updates and mission coverage said Adenot and Menon removed the failed space-to-ground antenna, but the job took longer than planned because they had trouble disconnecting tight power and data lines. They also lost time dealing with the antenna’s gimbal assembly, where locking bolts or pins had to be secured for safe handling and transport. Additional reporting described the bolt work as part of locking down the large dish during its move to temporary stowage, while NASA separately said the astronauts needed extra time to loosen bolts. In practice, the hazards were not dramatic debris or suit damage, but spacewalk-critical mechanical resistance: cables that did not come free easily and bolt/pin hardware that proved harder than expected to lock or release in vacuum. Because of those delays, mission controllers told the astronauts to tether the old antenna to the Z1 truss and end the outing without installing the replacement. The spare antenna was then installed successfully on the follow-up spacewalk a week later.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 1

A 6.5-hour spacewalk on Aug. 25 let ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot replace one of the ISS's two Space-to-Ground antennas alongside NASA astronaut Anil Menon.
The repair came on their second attempt after a spacewalk a week earlier ran out of time before the new antenna could be installed.
That earlier EVA had already made Adenot the first woman from France to conduct a spacewalk.
The work took place about 250 miles above Earth, where the ISS travels roughly 17,500 mph and completes 16 orbits a day.

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Yahoo! Voices1d ago

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How will the historic success of France's first female spacewalker reshape Europe's influence on future orbital missions?

What unexpected cable and bolt hazards forced astronauts to abandon their first antenna repair attempt in the vacuum of space?

Why does the space station still risk human lives for exterior repairs instead of relying entirely on advanced robotics?

Sophie Adenot Replaces ISS Antenna in 6.5-Hour Spacewalk, Marking France's First Female EVA

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