The 41-year-old helicopter pilot completed her initial training in Cologne, Germany, and is continuing her preparation in Houston, USA. The specifics of her next mission remain confidential

After Claudie Haigneré in 2001, Sophie Adenot will become the second Frenchwoman to live aboard the ISS during its mission scheduled for 2026, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Wednesday 22 May. At a Space Council meeting in Brussels, two of the five astronauts in ESA’s class of 2022 were selected for their first missions: Sophie Adenot and Belgian Raphaël Liégeois. A former helicopter test pilot, Adenot will be the first to take to the skies.

‘At a time when exploration activities are developing at an unprecedented rate, sending two newly qualified ESA astronauts into space is a crucial step in preserving European know-how’, commented the Director of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher.

According to him, these two new missions will ensure Europe’s participation in current programmes, such as Artemis, as well as in any future projects involving manned spaceflight and exploration.

Intensive preparation in Houston for astronaut Sophie Adenot

After graduating on 22 April following a year’s basic training at the astronaut centre in Cologne, Germany, the five astronauts in the class of 2022 have embarked on a new phase of preparation. Sophie Adenot, one of the members of this class, is currently at NASA’s space centre in Houston, Texas, where she is continuing her training.

Sophie Adenot has a busy schedule ahead of her, with training sessions intensifying. In particular, she is preparing for the spacewalks that will be necessary when she is in orbit on board the ISS, 400 km above the Earth. She is currently undergoing theoretical training on spacewalks, before moving on to practical training in a few weeks’ time.

The specific details of the missions of Sophie Adenot and her colleague, Raphaël Liégeois, have yet to be revealed and will be released gradually. For the moment, the only indication given by Sophie Adenot concerns a possible departure date in the spring of 2026. However, she cautiously points out that this deadline could change, given the dynamic nature of the space sector.