Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Anil Menon takes second spacewalk

Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon stepped outside the International Space Station on Tuesday for his second spacewalk. He was joined by European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot for an important repair operation.The astronauts were tasked with replacing the ISS's space-to-ground antenna.The spacewalk began at 8.37am EDT. It was expected to last about six hours and 30 minutes.Nasa and the ISS broadcasted the entire operation in a livestream. In a post, Nasa later shared the snippet of the astronauts working with the repair with a caption, "Here, Menon and Adenot are working on a series of electrical and data connectors as today's spacewalk continues."For Menon, the operation marked his second spacewalk. Menon traces his roots to Kerala in India. For Adenot, the mission was a major milestone. It was her first spacewalk. She also became the first French woman to undertake a spacewalk.“Welcome to space,” the mission control centre in Houston said to Adenot, as she and Menon completed their buddy check procedures.The pair then moved towards the Z1 truss. The structure is located near the centre of the ISS backbone.The International Space Station orbits the Earth at an altitude of about 260 miles. Astronauts regularly carry out spacewalks to repair equipment, install new systems and upgrade the station.The antenna being replaced is an important part of the ISS communication system. It allows Nasa to send and receive data at high speeds between the station and Mission Control in Houston.The latest mission is the 282nd spacewalk carried out in support of the station's assembly, maintenance and upgrades.Menon had already completed his first spacewalk earlier this month. He spent six hours and 27 minutes outside the ISS with Nasa astronaut Jessica Meir.During that mission, the astronauts worked on the station's power system. Their work was aimed at preparing the ISS for the future installation of another roll-out solar array.The latest repair is part of the continuing maintenance of the ISS. The space station is approaching three decades of continuous human habitation. The antenna plays a key role in communication between the space station and Nasa's Mission Control Centre in Houston.As the orbital laboratory grows older, astronauts continue to carry out repairs and replace ageing equipment. These operations are essential to keeping the ISS safe and operational.