The 97th US spacewalk will see Anil and Sophie working about six-and-a-half hours outside the orbital complex, replacing a Space-to-Ground Antenna (SGANT).

The antenna is a critical communication system NASA uses to transmit data and enable high-speed communication between mission control in Houston and the Space Station.

Sophie has spent more than 150 hours underwater at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (Cologne, Germany) and NASA’s Johnson Space Center (Houston, United States), training and qualifying for extravehicular activities (EVAs).

During the last few weeks in orbit, she has worked intensively on preparing spacesuits and tools, and revising procedures.