Repairing the ISS 250 miles above Earth | Space photo of the day for Sept. 1, 2026
A photo of ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on the outside of the International Space Station captures the staggering altitude at which the crewed laboratory orbits Earth.
On August 25, 2026, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot performed an extravehicular activity (EVA) while orbiting 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth on the International Space Station (ISS). She was working alongside NASA astronaut Anil Menon to replace one of two Space-to-Ground antennas on the ISS' exterior. This was the second EVA for Adenot and Menon to accomplish the antenna replacement; during their first EVA a week earlier, they ran out of time before completing the installation.
Adenot became the first woman from France to conduct an EVA after this spacewalk. A photo captured during the activity shows Adenot clinging to the space station with the Earth below, providing a stark reminder of the height of the ISS' orbit. The orbital laboratory circles the planet at a speed of 17,500 mph (28,000 kph), completing 16 orbits per day.
The photo was taken on the 194th day, or orbit 3010, of Adenot's mission, which began in February when she launched on NASA's Crew-12 mission.
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