Developing — this story is still being verified

Successful EVA-97 removes failed antenna; spare not installed

EVA-97 on 2026-08-18 completed removal of a failed antenna, but stuck bolts kept the spare antenna from being installed.

  • EVA-97 is dated 18 August 2026 and is recorded as successful.
  • Sophie Adenot and Anil Menon removed a failed antenna during a 6-hour 23-minute operation.
  • Stuck bolts prevented installation of a spare antenna on Space-To-Ground antenna 2 (SGANT-2).
  • The result shows how mechanical issues can limit hardware replacement during operations.

What happened

EVA-97 is dated 2026-08-18 and is recorded as successful.

The operation completed removal of a failed antenna, but a spare antenna was not installed.

What we know

EVA-97 is dated 2026-08-18, and Sophie Adenot is also dated 2026-08-18.

The recorded statuses for EVA-97 include delayed and successful.

The crew was Sophie Adenot and Anil Menon.

The duration was 6 hours 23 minutes, or 383 minutes.

The completed milestone was removal of a failed antenna.

The spare antenna was not installed. Stuck bolts prevented the spare antenna from being installed on Space-To-Ground antenna 2 (SGANT-2).

Why it matters

The facts show that EVA-97 achieved a removal milestone but did not install a replacement antenna because of stuck bolts. That matters to lunar industry observers because it illustrates how mechanical issues can limit hardware replacement during operations.

What we are not sure about

  • The facts list both delayed and successful statuses for EVA-97 without explaining the sequence.
  • The 2025-11 value for SGANT 2 is not used because its meaning is not specified.

Sources

  1. 1.ESA Human and Robotic Exploration
  2. 2.ESA Human and Robotic Exploration

Written by AI systems from the sources above and checked automatically; no personal byline. How this site works