Repairing an engineering marvel like the International Space Station is no easy feat by itself, but it’s even more impressive when it’s done 250 miles (400 kilometers) up.
What is it?
In this photograph, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot works on the outside of the International Space Station on Aug. 25, 2026.
The photograph was taken whereas Adenot and NASA astronaut Anil Menon had been conducting a 6.5-hour spacewalk, or extravehicular exercise (EVA), to replace one of two Space-to-Ground antennas on the skin of the ISS.
This was the second EVA that Adenot and Menon carried out to interchange the antenna. Throughout a earlier spacewalk every week earlier, the pair ran out of time earlier than the brand new antenna may very well be put in.
With that first spacewalk, Adenot turned the primary lady from France to ever conduct an EVA.
Why is it unbelievable?
It may be exhausting to conceptualize simply how excessive up the ISS orbits till you see a photograph like this one; few individuals on Earth have ever flown as excessive as 250 miles (400 km), in order that altitude can really feel a bit summary. Seeing an astronaut like Adenot clinging to the area station with the clouds and blue oceans of Earth beneath places issues into perspective.
At that peak, the ISS orbits at fairly a excessive price of velocity. The orbital laboratory zips round Earth at 17,500 mph (28,000 kph), which means it circles the planet 16 instances a day. This photograph was taken on day 194, or orbit 3010, of Adenot’s mission, which started in February when she launched to the ISS as a part of NASA’s Crew-12 mission.
