Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 29 August 2026

Astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot Install Ku-band Antenna on ISS

Exam-focused facts from the 29 August 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot successfully installed a Ku-band communications antenna on the International Space Station (ISS) during a spacewalk on August 26, 2026.
  • The spacewalk, the 283rd in ISS history, restored critical communications redundancy for the orbital laboratory.
  • The antenna was installed on the Z1 truss segment above the Unity module.
  • This was Menon's third spacewalk and Adenot's second, making her the first French woman to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA).
  • NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir assisted from inside the ISS, with Hathaway commanding the Canadarm2 robotic arm.