Watch LIVE: Astronaut Anil Menon begins spacewalk, set to fly on robotic arm

Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot have begun a spacewalk to replace a key ISS communications antenna. The mission is set to strengthen the station's long-term voice, video and data links with Earth.The astronauts are tasked with replacing a Space-to-Ground antenna responsible for high-speed communications. (Photo: Nasa)Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Anil Menon has begun his second spacewalk to repair the International Space Station (ISS), embarking on a critical mission to replace a key communications antenna that links the orbiting laboratory with mission controllers on Earth.Menon and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot will be outside the Space Station for the spacewalk that is expected to last around six and a half hours.WATCH NASA ASTRONAUT ANIL MENON CONDUCT SPACEWALK LIVE The astronauts are tasked with replacing a Space-to-Ground antenna responsible for high-speed communications between the ISS and Nasa’s Mission Control Center in Houston. The antenna upgrade is considered vital for maintaining reliable voice, video and data connectivity with the orbital outpost. During the operation, the pair will remove the ageing antenna from the station’s Z1 truss segment and exchange it with a spare unit stored on an external platform. The work involves a series of delicate electrical and data connections that must be completed to activate the replacement hardware.A major highlight of the mission will see Menon riding the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm while carrying out portions of the work outside the station. The maneuver will allow him to access hard-to-reach sections of the ISS structure while Adenot remains tethered to the station as the duo coordinates the complex maintenance task. The spacewalk marks Menon’s second extravehicular activity (EVA) since arriving at the ISS as part of Expedition 75. For Adenot, it is a historic first. The French astronaut becomes the first French woman ever to perform a spacewalk, adding a significant milestone to European spaceflight history.Mission controllers expect the antenna replacement to improve the station's communications capability for years to come, ensuring smooth transmission of scientific data, operational information and live communications with astronauts aboard the ISS.Menon, a physician and aerospace engineer selected by Nasa in 2021, has become one of the most prominent Indian-origin astronauts currently in orbit. His latest spacewalk further adds to a growing list of contributions to the maintenance and operation of humanity’s only permanent outpost in space.- EndsPublished By: Sibu Kumar TripathiPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 16:43 IST