Who is Sophie Adenot?

Sophie Adenot is a French astronaut who, in February 2026, became the second French woman in history to go to space.

When will the historic spacewalk take place?

The extravehicular activity is scheduled for Monday, August 18, 2026, with a possible second spacewalk on August 25.

What is Sophie Adenot's task during the spacewalk?

Together with her American colleague Anil Menon, she will replace the SGANT communications antenna that ensures data transmission between the International Space Station and Earth.

Has any French woman walked in space before her?

No, although Claudie Haigneré was the first French woman in space in 1996 and 2001, she never left the spacecraft.

World

Sophie Adenot becomes the first French woman to walk in space

B.D. · Prije 10h | 2 min

The French astronaut has announced a spacewalk for August 18, during which she and colleague Anil Menon will replace a key communications antenna on the International Space Station.

Summary

Sophie Adenot has announced the first spacewalk by a French woman, scheduled for August 18, 2026.
The task is to replace a key communications antenna on the ISS, with the spacewalk lasting 6 hours and 30 minutes.
Adenot became only the second French woman in space in February of this year, after Claudie Haigneré.
There is a possibility that Adenot will also participate in a second extravehicular activity planned for August 25.

Make 5MIN.hr a preferred source

French astronaut Sophie Adenot confirmed on Wednesday that she will become the first French woman in history to perform an extravehicular activity, commonly known as a spacewalk, on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. She shared the news on social media platform X, relaying an announcement from NASA, the U.S. space agency.

"I have great news to share: on August 18, it will be my turn to go outside the Station with Anil to replace the Space-to-Ground antenna, or SGANT," Adenot wrote, referring to her American colleague, astronaut Anil Menon.

Six and a half hours in the vacuum of space

The planned spacewalk is expected to last six and a half hours. During that time, Adenot and Menon, wearing NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit suits, are tasked with replacing the high-speed data transmission antenna. The antenna is located on the main truss structure of the orbital complex and is crucial for communication between the station and mission control on Earth.

According to Le Figaro, planning for ISS activities already includes another spacewalk scheduled for August 25, and based on earlier information from a NASA press conference, there is a possibility that the French astronaut may also participate in that one.

Second French woman in space, first to walk

Sources disagree on the astronaut's exact age: Le Figaro reports she is 44, while France Info says 43. Regardless, her journey to the stars has already made history. In February of this year, she became only the second French woman to travel to space, following pioneer Claudie Haigneré, who completed her missions in 1996 and 2001. Haigneré, who was an inspiration to Adenot herself, never ventured outside her spacecraft during her stays in space, making this feat even more significant.

The last French person to walk in space was Thomas Pesquet, who performed a total of six extravehicular activities during his two stays on the ISS.