France is no longer just looking at space: on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, one of its astronauts takes command there. Sophie Adenot is set to leave the International Space Station alongside American Jessica Meir for an extravehicular activity lasting approximately six hours and thirty minutes. This will be her third EVA in three weeks, but more importantly, it will be the first during which she will hold the role of lead member, or EV1. Recognizable by the red stripes on her suit, she will bear the primary operational responsibility of the duo.
The rendezvous is scheduled for around 2:30 PM Paris time, with a full broadcast provided by the European Space Agency. Behind the spectacular image of two silhouettes suspended above Earth, the mission addresses very concrete needs: securing spacecraft rendezvous, modernizing data exchanges, preparing for future scientific maintenance, and replacing an external camera. This outing thus narrates both the rapid ascent of Sophie Adenot and the ongoing work necessary to keep the ISS operational.
A Third Spacewalk, but a Completely New Role
Sophie Adenot performed her first extravehicular activity on August 18 with NASA astronaut Anil Menon. This operation, lasting six hours and twenty-three minutes, made her the first French woman to work in the vacuum of space. The duo removed a malfunctioning communication antenna, despite particularly difficult bolts and connectors to handle.
A week later, on August 25, Adenot and Menon went out again to install and activate the replacement antenna. The high-speed link between the station and ground teams regained its redundancy. In just a few days, the French astronaut transitioned from discovering the external environment to a rare operational experience. The September 1 outing extends this sequence but changes in dimension with her assignment as EV1.
The lead member is not an honorary title. It is the person identified as the primary responsible for the outing, in constant coordination with the control center. Preparation is meticulous: checking suits, organizing tools, controlling attachments, and rehearsing movements using three-dimensional simulations. In the void, every movement must be anticipated, as a simple operation on Earth becomes a slow choreography with pressurized gloves and limited visibility.
What Sophie Adenot and Jessica Meir Need to Repair
The main task involves replacing a retroreflector installed on the forward port of the Harmony module. This device reflects a light signal back to its source and serves as a navigation aid during rendezvous and docking maneuvers. It contributes to the precision of approaches of vessels that transport crews, experiments, and supplies to the orbital complex.
The two astronauts must also install cables for data relay systems. They will then prepare the radiator of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, better known as AMS, for future intervention. This instrument, mounted on the exterior of the ISS, analyzes cosmic rays to help scientists better understand dark matter, antimatter, and the structure of the Universe.
Finally, Adenot and Meir will replace a high-definition camera on the station’s truss. These cameras do not just produce images for the public. They provide controllers and crews with essential insight into the state of external equipment, robotic movements, and certain phases of approach. The mission thus connects navigation, science, communications, and technical monitoring.
Jessica Meir, One of the Most Experienced Partners
For this American EVA-99, Sophie Adenot will be accompanied by Jessica Meir, the station commander and a veteran of extravehicular activities. This will be the seventh EVA for the NASA astronaut. Meir notably participated in 2019 in the first all-female spacewalk in history with Christina Koch.
The composition of the duo adds further significance to the event. An experienced American and a Frenchwoman on the rise in responsibility will work together on an international infrastructure. The ISS remains one of the few places where scientific and technical cooperation between countries translates daily into decisions made hundreds of kilometers above borders.
Why This Mission Matters for France and Europe
Sophie Adenot’s Mission Epsilon marks the first orbital flight of a French astronaut since Thomas Pesquet’s Alpha mission. His launch in February 2026 had already placed French and European research in the spotlight. On board, she conducts experiments prepared with ESA and CNES, notably with CADMOS in Toulouse, which supports scientific operations in microgravity.
Her progress during the summer also sends a signal about the role of European astronauts in the most demanding operations. Participating in an EVA requires years of training, excellent mastery of systems, and the ability to manage unforeseen events without losing track of the procedure. By assigning the EV1 role to Adenot, the station partners validate much more than a media performance: they grant her a top-tier technical responsibility.
This experience will be invaluable for future crewed missions. As exploration prepares to return sustainably around and on the Moon, the skills acquired on the ISS remain an irreplaceable laboratory. Maintaining equipment outside, communicating with the ground, conserving energy, and adapting plans in real-time are precisely the know-how crews will need further from Earth.
A Live Broadcast to Follow as a Global Event
CNES announces a start to the outing around 2:30 PM French time, with a projected duration of six hours and thirty minutes. ESA will broadcast the operation on its Web TV and YouTube channel. As always in space, the schedule and proceedings may evolve based on technical checks, suit conditions, or operational constraints of the station.
The spectacle will be striking, but the stakes lie in the details: a cable fixed in the right place, a camera brought back online, a reflector capable of guiding upcoming vehicles. The strength of this third outing lies precisely in this contrast. The world will see a Frenchwoman floating above the planet; the teams, however, will follow a professional who has become one of the central figures of orbital maintenance in just a few weeks.
A Milestone That Cannot Be Ignored
Sophie Adenot is not just signing a new personal episode. She is placing Europe in the contemporary narrative of human spaceflight and giving French return a picture of competence, preparation, and scientific ambition. Three extravehicular activities in three weeks already constitute a remarkable pace. Taking the lead role during the third transforms this series into a true passing of the torch.
If the mission proceeds as planned, September 1, 2026, will be remembered as the day Sophie Adenot not only crossed the airlock of the ISS: she led the work in the void. A spectacular step, but above all credible, concrete, and useful, reflecting what human space exploration produces at its most powerful.