French Astronaut Sophie Adenot Returns to Earth After Historic Mission
By Etienne Paponaud with AFP
Published on 08/10/2026 – 18:30 GMT+2
Updated at 18:32
Sophie Adenot, the French astronaut who spent an impressive 235 days orbiting the Earth, returned safely on Thursday, October 8, at 5:35 p.m. French time, along with three fellow International Space Station (ISS) crew members. Their capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, following a day-long journey.
Intense Landing and Medical Check
The final moments of the re-entry were filled with high-speed thrills, featuring a rapid descent through the atmosphere followed by a slow descent aided by parachutes. During this time, communication was lost with the ground.
Once safely landed, the astronauts exited the spacecraft and underwent brief medical evaluations. They were then transported first to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, and subsequently to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. A medical team from the European Space Agency (ESA) is responsible for caring for Sophie during her return flight to Cologne, Germany, where she will be reunited with her family and start a recovery program lasting several weeks.
Groundbreaking Achievements
In February 2026, thirty years after Claudie Haigneré, Sophie became the second French woman to cross the Karman line, recognized as the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. Additionally, she made history as the first French woman to conduct spacewalks, completing three missions on August 18, August 25, and September 1.
Adenot’s total of 237 days in space has earned her the title of the longest-serving European astronaut, surpassing the previous record held by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, who spent 201 days in orbit between 2019 and 2020.
