Fixing the Space Station! Two Astronauts Are on a Spacewalk Right Now
Quick Summary
Right now, two astronauts are floating outside the International Space Station. They are on a spacewalk to finish a repair job they started last week. Their goal: replace a broken antenna that connects the station to Mission Control on Earth.
What Happened?
Today, August 25, NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot stepped outside the International Space Station. Their mission is called U.S. Spacewalk 98. The walk began at about 8:35 in the morning and is expected to last around six and a half hours.
This is actually the second time Menon and Adenot have gone outside together. Last week, on August 18, they removed a broken space-to-ground antenna. An antenna is like a giant walkie-talkie. It lets the space station send and receive messages — including video and data — with mission controllers on Earth.
The two astronauts ran out of time before they could install the new antenna. So today, they went back out to finish the job. During the walk, Menon rode a long robotic arm called Canadarm2. It helped him reach the right spot on the station’s outside. He then picked up the spare antenna and, together with Adenot, installed it on the station’s Z1 truss. A truss is like a tall metal backbone that holds big pieces of the station together.
If there is time left over, the pair will also replace a small navigation aid on another part of the station. It helps visiting spacecraft dock safely.
Why Does It Matter?
Spacewalks are one of the most challenging things astronauts do. Outside the station, there is no air to breathe, temperatures swing from boiling hot to freezing cold, and astronauts must work carefully in thick gloves. Yet they do it to keep the station running.
The space station orbits Earth about 400 kilometers up — roughly the distance from New York to Boston, but straight above your head. Having a good antenna is essential. Without it, astronauts could not easily talk to the teams on the ground who help keep them safe.
This is also an exciting spacewalk for another reason. Sophie Adenot made history one week ago as the first French woman ever to conduct a spacewalk. Today is her second time outside. She is part of a long tradition of French astronauts who have helped build and maintain the space station since it was first assembled in 1998.
Today’s walk is the 283rd spacewalk ever performed to support the space station.
Big Words
- Spacewalk (EVA) — when an astronaut goes outside a spacecraft into the vacuum of space; EVA stands for Extra-Vehicular Activity
- Antenna — a device that sends and receives signals, like radio waves, used to communicate between the space station and Earth
- Canadarm2 — a large robotic arm attached to the outside of the space station that can move astronauts and equipment into position
- Truss — a strong framework of metal beams that forms the backbone of the space station and holds solar panels and other equipment
- Mission Control — the room on Earth, in Houston, Texas, where a team of experts monitors and guides the space station and its crew around the clock
Fun Fact
The ISS orbits Earth at about 28,000 kilometers per hour — so fast that the station sees 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every single day!
Think About It
If you were an astronaut going on a spacewalk, what would be the most exciting part — and what would feel the most nerve-wracking?
Sources
- NASA.gov — ‘NASA to Cover Three US Spacewalks, Host Preview News Conference’
- NASA ISS Blog — ‘Spacewalk Preps Continue to Finish Antenna Installation Job Next Week,’ Aug. 20, 2026
- Yahoo News/Space.com — ‘Watch 2 astronauts replace failed ISS antenna during spacewalk today,’ Aug. 25, 2026
- SpaceCalendar.com — U.S. ISS Spacewalk 98 event listing