Now Reading: Anil Menon, Sophie Adenot complete spacewalk outside ISS
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Anil Menon, Sophie Adenot complete spacewalk outside ISS
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot successfully conducted a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Thursday. The two astronauts spent over six hours performing maintenance tasks…
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot successfully conducted a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Thursday. The two astronauts spent over six hours performing maintenance tasks and installing new equipment on the station's exterior.
The spacewalk was part of ongoing efforts to upgrade the ISS infrastructure. Menon, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, is of Indian origin and holds a medical degree. Adenot, a former French air force pilot, became an ESA astronaut in 2022.
This was the first spacewalk for both astronauts. The mission was conducted from the Quest airlock, and all objectives were completed as scheduled. The next spacewalk is planned for later this year.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Spacewalks remain among the most demanding tasks in human spaceflight, requiring months of training in neutral buoyancy labs on Earth. Menon and Adenot represent a newer generation of astronauts selected after 2020, when both NASA and ESA expanded recruitment. India's Gaganyaan programme, which aims to send an Indian crew to orbit by 2026, will rely on similar extravehicular activity procedures. The ISS partnership, involving five space agencies, has conducted over 270 spacewalks since 1998. The next station maintenance milestone is the replacement of solar arrays, set to begin in the coming months.
Source: thehindu.com
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