ESA Astronaut Sophie Adenot Begins εpsilon Mission Aboard ISS

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot has officially begun her nine-month εpsilon mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule, carrying Adenot along with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, docked with the ISS on 14 February at 20:15 GMT/21:15 CET.

The crew launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 13 February at 10:15 GMT/11:15 CET. After approximately 34 hours in orbit, they prepared for docking. First-time flyers Adenot and Hathaway utilized this period to acclimate to microgravity conditions.

Upon entering the ISS, Crew-12 was welcomed by NASA astronaut Christopher Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, who have been aboard since November 2025. During a brief ceremony, Station Commander Kud-Sverchkov awarded astronaut wings to Adenot and Hathaway. The crew expressed gratitude to NASA and SpaceX teams for a smooth flight and conveyed their eagerness to commence their mission.

The εpsilon mission, set to last up to nine months, is the longest ESA astronaut mission to date. Adenot will serve as a crew specialist for both the European Columbus and Japanese Kibo laboratory modules. She is scheduled to conduct up to 36 European experiments, including seven developed by the French space agency CNES specifically for this mission. The research spans various scientific domains, from human physiology and climate studies to technology demonstrations, aiming to benefit life on Earth and support future exploration missions.

ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, Daniel Neuenschwander, highlighted the mission's significance:

"The εpsilon mission highlights ESA’s commitment to maintaining a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit and related utilisation, starting with science. Sophie is the first career astronaut of the Class of 2022, the ‘Hoppers’, to fly."

Adenot plans to share her mission experiences through her social media accounts, including Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Further details about the εpsilon mission and the scientific work involved are available on ESA’s dedicated εpsilon page.