NASA and ESA Astronauts Complete 99th U.S. Spacewalk on ISS
On September 1, 2026, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot completed a 6-hour, 49-minute spacewalk at the International Space Station. They installed a retroreflector and replaced a high-definition camera, while also preparing for future tasks.
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot completed the 99th U.S. spacewalk outside the International Space Station on September 1, 2026. The mission lasted 6 hours and 49 minutes, concluding at 3:29 p.m. EDT. During the walk, the pair installed a new retroreflector on the Harmony module’s forward port to assist with navigation during future docking operations. They also replaced a high-definition camera on the station truss and swabbed the exterior to check for microorganisms. This mission was the 284th spacewalk conducted for the assembly and maintenance of the station.
Work also began on the installation of jumper cables for the station’s electrical systems. The astronauts initiated preparations for replacing the heat-rejecting radiator on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a task scheduled for a later date. Mission Control decided to postpone the installation of the remaining guide studs for that radiator, allowing engineers more time to develop a plan for the next steps of the project.
Adenot encountered some difficulty moving her left arm during the mission. Meir assessed the suit and found that a glove heater harness was likely restricting the shoulder joint. After Meir unzipped the joint to resolve the issue, both astronauts were able to return safely to the airlock. This was Meir’s seventh spacewalk and Adenot’s third. Meir remains the woman with the third-most spacewalks in NASA history, after Peggy Whitson and Suni Williams.
These missions are part of a broader commitment to maintaining the International Space Station as a functional scientific laboratory. The partnership between NASA and ESA continues through these joint efforts, with more spacewalks planned to finish current tasks and handle routine maintenance. As technology progresses, these operations help prepare for longer missions beyond low Earth orbit, including future travel to the Moon and Mars. The work of astronauts like Meir and Adenot is central to the ongoing operation of the facility.
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