Astronauts remove faulty ISS antenna during spacewalk

Astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot ran out of time to replace the space-to-ground antenna of the International Space Station (ISS) during a spacewalk, with the task now set for a future date.

The two astronauts managed to remove the failed antenna and stow it away in their six-hour-23-minute space walk that began at 8.29 am EDT.

This spacewalk will be the second for Menon, who traces his origins to Kerala in India, and the first for



Adenot.

Adenot, an astronaut with the European Space Agency, became the first French woman to undertake a spacewalk.

The astronauts had twin tasks – remove the failed antenna and install a replacement. However, they ran into delays in removing the tight power and data connectors, installing locking pins in the antenna’s gimbal assembly and unbolting it from its boom.

The astronauts were seen putting in extra effort with the ratchet wrench as they removed the antenna from its boom.