Two astronauts completed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Wednesday, successfully removing a failed antenna but running out of time before they could install a replacement, according to chinadailyasia.com.
The spacewalk involved a NASA astronaut and an astronaut from the European Space Agency, with reports identifying the pair as Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot. The outing also marked the first spacewalk by a Frenchwoman, as noted by Dawn.
The operation was part of Expedition 75, the current long-duration mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA's own update on the activity said the crew spent time after the spacewalk cleaning up and continuing microgravity research, indicating the antenna work was one item among many on the mission's schedule.
Space.com reported that the two spacewalkers successfully detached the faulty antenna but were unable to finish the job of installing a spare unit before their allotted time expired. The exact reason for the time shortfall was not detailed in the available reporting, nor was the specific function of the antenna or its location on the station's exterior.
The decision to leave the replacement for a future outing is a routine outcome in spacewalk planning, where timelines are tightly managed and tasks are often deferred if crews fall behind. The failed antenna itself is now removed, which may reduce any interference or operational issues it was causing.
What to watch next: Whether NASA schedules a follow-up spacewalk to complete the antenna replacement, and how the station's systems perform in the meantime without the spare installed.
