ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Anil Menon successfully completed US EVA-97 at 20:52 CEST on Tuesday 18 August. It was Sophie’s first spacewalk, and the first spacewalk conducted by a French woman.

During the 6-hour, 23-minute spacewalk, Sophie and Anil completed the removal of the Space-To-Ground antenna 2 (SGANT-2). This antenna had been unable to track the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) constellation used to relay communications and data between the Station and ground controllers since November 2025. Stuck bolts and connectors on the failed antenna delayed the duo’s work, preventing them from installing the spare antenna as planned.