ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot is cleared for ISS duty. Training milestones, mission timing, and what her future in orbit will actually involve.
France edges closer to seeing another woman on the International Space Station. European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot completed basic training in April 2024, officially becoming eligible for an ISS assignment after joining ESA’s new astronaut class in November 2022.
So the key question surfaces right away : when does Sophie Adenot fly. As of late 2024, ESA had not announced a mission date. The path is set though, with ISS crew rotations planned through the decade and European seats typically tied to SpaceX Crew Dragon flights of around six months each.
Sophie Adenot on track for the ISS : from selection to certification
Sophie Adenot comes from the French Air and Space Force, where she served as a helicopter pilot and test pilot before entering ESA’s 2022 astronaut class. The intake included five career astronauts from five countries, reflecting Europe’s long-term commitment to human spaceflight.
Her road moved fast. Basic training started in April 2023 at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne and wrapped up on 22 April 2024 with official certification. That status unlocks advanced, pre-assignment training and the possibility of a long-duration mission aboard the ISS.
For readers who want the quick dates, here is the milestone thread that matters for an ISS-bound astronaut like Sophie Adenot :
- 23 November 2022 : selected as an ESA career astronaut in Paris.
- April 2023 : basic training began at the European Astronaut Centre, Cologne.
- 22 April 2024 : basic training completed – certified for future ISS assignment.
ISS reality check : what her mission will involve, in numbers
The ISS circles Earth every 90 minutes at roughly 400 km altitude. Since continuous occupancy began in November 2000, more than 260 people have lived and worked aboard, supporting thousands of experiments from over 100 countries.
European astronauts typically fly on SpaceX Crew Dragon from Florida, then join an Expedition for about six months. That window is packed : human physiology and life sciences, materials research, fluid physics, combustion studies, Earth observation, and technology demos that prepare for missions farther out.
Daily life stays structured. Crew members follow a tight timeline of research, maintenance, exercise, meals, and sleep, with robotics operations and occasional spacewalks woven in when the program calls. The goal is steady science output and a safe station – nothing flashy, just precise work day after day.
The program’s horizon matters too. NASA targets ISS operations through 2030, aligning partner plans and leaving room for multiple European missions this decade. That policy context frames when a newly certified astronaut like Sophie Adenot fits into the sequence.
Training blocks that prepare Sophie Adenot for orbit
Basic training covered the essentials : ISS systems and modules, spacecraft operations theory, survival and first aid, fundamentals of space medicine, robotics principles, and initial EVA preparation in pool-based sessions. Language, teamwork, and emergency response came built in.
Next comes pre-assignment and increment-specific training. That phase typically adds hands-on work on Columbus module systems in Europe, detailed robotics with Canadarm2 in Houston, and payload training with partner agencies in the United States and Japan. If a spacewalk is planned, neutral-buoyancy rehearsals scale up dramatically.
Why so meticulous. Because six months in orbit demand habits that hold under pressure. Crew adapt procedures, troubleshoot hardware, and keep science on time while the station travell at 28,000 km per hour. All of it relies on skills honed long before launch.
So when could Sophie Adenot reach the ISS
There is a pattern to watch. ESA astronauts usually receive their first long-duration assignment 1 to 3 years after basic training ends, depending on partner seat availability and program priorities. Announcements often come 12 to 24 months before launch, giving room for mission-specific prep.
Put that against the calendar. With certification dated 22 April 2024 and ISS operations slated through 2030, the window for Sophie Adenot’s first flight sits comfortably within the second half of the decade. The exact Crew rotation and Expedition number will depend on agency agreements and final manifest updates.
The practical move for followers : monitor ESA and NASA crew updates, and the naming of upcoming SpaceX Crew rotations. Once her assignment appears, expect a clear mission timeline, payload roster, and a training ramp that shifts from generic to laser specific.
Until then, the big pieces are already in place. A certified ESA astronaut, a station with a firm operating plan, and a European research pipeline waiting for another skilled set of hands in microgravity. The next announcement will simply lock the date.