Sophie Adenot Becomes Second French Woman in Space

WASHINGTON:  (Web Desk) – Growing up, Sophie Adenot covered her bedroom walls with posters of rockets launching from Cape Canaveral, dreaming of a future in space. On Friday, that childhood dream came true when Adenot blasted off from the same launchpad, becoming the second French woman to fly to space.

Adenot, 43, is one of four astronauts heading to the International Space Station (ISS) to replace a crew evacuated last month due to a medical issue. Over the next eight months, she will conduct scientific experiments aboard the football-field-sized station, 400 kilometres above Earth.

Her fascination with space began in 1996 when she watched France’s first woman astronaut, Claudie Haignere, launch to the Mir. “I was 14 years old and it was a revelation,” Adenot said. Haignere praised her as both a “pioneer” and her “heir.”

After delays, Adenot, alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Saturday to relieve a skeleton crew.

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Adenot’s path to space has been extraordinary. She studied at MIT, worked as a helicopter cockpit designer at Airbus, and completed two tours in Afghanistan specializing in search-and-rescue missions. In 2018, she became France’s first woman helicopter test pilot.

Her dream of space never wavered. After being rejected by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2008, she was selected in 2022 from 22,000 candidates and underwent three years of intense training.

Adenot will participate in over 200 experiments on the ISS, studying microgravity’s effects on the human body, memory, and testing AI and augmented reality systems for medical ultrasounds.

The astronaut will also enjoy some luxury in space. Michelin-starred chef Anne-Sophie Pic prepared a menu featuring lobster bisque and foie gras, which Adenot will enjoy on her 44th birthday on July 5. She has also brought recordings of birds, snow crunches, and flowing streams to remind her of life back on Earth.