Sophie Adenot returns to Europe after eight months in space

European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot has arrived in Cologne, Germany, following her return to Earth from the International Space Station, ESA News reported. Adenot traveled alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev aboard the SpaceX Crew-12 spacecraft. The crew undocked from the orbital laboratory on 7 October at 12:05 GMT, completing a return journey that lasted 27 hours and 29 minutes. [1]

The uncrewed return phase completed a 237-day stay in space for Adenot during her long-duration εpsilon mission, according to ESA News. As FTMQ Space reported earlier, the Crew-12 capsule splashed down off the coast of California on 8 October 2026 before Adenot was transported back to Europe. [1][12]

Adenot was selected to join the European Astronaut Corps in 2022 and launched to the orbital outpost in February 2026 as part of Expedition 74/75. She is a colonel in the French Air and Space Force and became the first French female helicopter test pilot in 2018. During her time on the station, she became the first French woman to perform a spacewalk. [9]

The International Space Station is an orbital research laboratory in low Earth orbit operated by NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA. As FTMQ Space reported earlier, Adenot accumulated 19 hours and 42 minutes of total extravehicular activity across three spacewalks during her mission. [8][13]