Two astronauts went outside the International Space Station on Tuesday to replace an important antenna. This antenna helps the station communicate with Earth. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot performed the spacewalk. Adenot made history by becoming the first French woman to walk in space. She wore a white spacesuit, while Menon, who is an engineer and doctor, wore a suit with red stripes. This was Menon's second spacewalk in just over a week.
The astronauts had about six and a half hours to complete their work. They went to a structure called the Z1 truss. Their job was to remove an old antenna and get a replacement from storage. Moving large objects in space is difficult and requires careful planning. Menon used a large robotic arm called Canadarm2 to help move equipment. Adenot was attached to the station with a safety line.
Inside the station, two other astronauts, Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, helped control the robotic arm and watched the spacewalk. They guided the operation from inside. After installing the new antenna, Menon and Adenot connected wires and data cables. This was necessary to make sure the new antenna worked correctly and that the station's communication systems were strong for the future.
This spacewalk was part of many missions to build and maintain the International Space Station, which has been continuously occupied since the year 2000. The event was broadcast live, showing the hard work needed to keep humans connected in space.