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The 97th US spacewalk will see Anil and Sophie working about six-and-a-half hours outside the orbital complex, replacing a Space-to-Ground Antenna (SGANT).

The antenna is a critical communication system NASA uses to transmit data and enable high-speed communication between mission control in Houston and the Space Station. 

Sophie has spent more than 150 hours underwater at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (Cologne, Germany) and NASA’s Johnson Space Center (Houston, United States), training and qualifying for extravehicular activities (EVAs).

During the last few weeks in orbit, she has worked intensively on preparing spacesuits and tools, and revising procedures. 

On the day itself, Sophie and Anil will be helped into their suits by NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway. As Extravehicular Crew Member 1 (EV1), Anil will be wearing red stripes on his spacesuit, while Sophie (EV2) will wear a spacesuit without stripes. 

From inside the Station, commander Jessica Meir and flight engineer Jack Hathaway will operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm to assist the spacewalkers.  

• 5th French astronaut to perform a spacewalk 

• 12th spacewalk by a French astronaut  

• 31st spacewalk by a European astronaut 

• 5th spacewalk during the εpsilon mission