This week on France in Focus, we take a look at Sophie Adenot, who at 43 is about to fulfil a lifelong dream by becoming the second French woman to travel into space. She’s been training for a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station, the culmination of an exceptional career in aviation and space exploration.
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Sophie Adenot's fascination with space began at a very young age. She was first inspired by her grandfather, a former aircraft mechanic in the French Air Force, and later by Claudie Haigneré, the first French woman to become an astronaut. "The day Claudie took off, I thought, 'That's it – there's a woman astronaut. It's possible','" Adenot recalls, remembering how she watched Haigneré's 1996 mission to the Mir space station live on television.
An outstanding career
An engineer by training, Adenot graduated from the French National Institute of Aeronautics and Space in Toulouse, as well as the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. She began her professional career at Airbus before joining the French Air Force at the age of 23. In 2019, she made history by becoming France's first woman helicopter test pilot.
After an unsuccessful attempt in 2008, Adenot applied again in 2021 to the European Space Agency's astronaut selection programme. This time, she was chosen as one of just five candidates from a pool of 22,500 applicants.
Intensive training
She then embarked on nearly three years of rigorous training, across Germany, France, the United States and Japan. This included simulated spacewalks in large swimming pools, virtual reality exercises and survival training. Her ability to remain calm under pressure has been one of her greatest strengths. "She is very determined, able to stay focused in critical situations, fundamentally empathetic and deeply motivated, with a clear drive to achieve her goal," says Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration at the European Space Agency.
The ISS: a flying laboratory
Aboard the ISS, Adenot will take on a wide range of scientific and technical challenges. Over the course of the mission, she will conduct around 200 experiments, including several focused on medical ultrasound in space.
The station will also be a place of wonder. "On board the ISS, you orbit the Earth every 90 minutes – sixteen times a day – and you see a sunrise each time. These are magical moments," says Haigneré.
Like her predecessor, Adenot wants to make sure she holds on to the sense of amazement she had as a child, as her lifelong dream finally comes true.
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