During the 6-hour, 23-minute spacewalk, Sophie and Anil completed the removal of the Space-To-Ground antenna 2 (SGANT-2). This antenna had been unable to track the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) constellation used to relay communications and data between the Station and ground controllers since November 2025. Stuck bolts and connectors on the failed antenna delayed the duo’s work, preventing them from installing the spare antenna as planned.  

Sophie and Anil switched their suit to battery power at 14:29 CEST, officially beginning the planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk, before exiting the Quest airlock into the vacuum of space.   

Anil first retrieved a foot restraint and installed it on the Canadarm 2, which was operated from inside the Station by NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway. The robotic arm then transported Anil to the worksite, while Sophie translated there independently and began removing a heat shield from the failed antenna. 

Working together, Sophie and Anil installed gimbal locks to prevent the antenna from rotating during transport, removed bolts and disconnected a series of electrical connections in preparation for removing the failed antenna from its boom assembly. The astronauts encountered several stuck bolts and connectors, requiring additional time and coordinated effort to free them. 

As a result, Mission Control revised the spacewalk objectives and instead of transporting the failed antenna to a stowage platform, the crew performed a long-duration tie-down on the Station truss structure. Installation of the spare antenna was deferred to a future spacewalk.  

Once the failed antenna was tied down securely, Sophie and Anil cleaned up the work sites before ingressing the Station. 

This was the 282nd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. Another spacewalk is scheduled on August 25, the third this month, and the fifth of the εpsilon mission.  

Quelle: ESA