Meet ESA Astronaut Sophie Adenot | Εpsilon Mission

Why It Matters

Adenot’s appointment highlights Europe’s expanding human‑spaceflight capabilities and inspires the next generation of engineers, while the εpsilon mission’s research could deliver tangible benefits to Earth’s technology and health sectors.

Key Takeaways

• Childhood curiosity in Burgundy sparked lifelong astronaut ambition.
• Earned pilot, glider, skydiving licenses before aerospace engineering degree.
• Designed aircraft cockpits at MIT and Airbus Helicopters, then became test pilot.
• Accumulated 3,000 flight hours on 22 helicopter types before astronaut selection.
• Assigned to ESA’s εpsilon mission, focusing on scientific experiments in orbit

Summary

The video profiles ESA astronaut candidate Sophie Adenot, who has been assigned to the agency’s upcoming εpsilon mission. Born in Burgundy, France, Adenot narrates how a childhood fascination with adventure and exploration evolved into a concrete goal of reaching space.

Adenot earned a private pilot’s license, a glider rating and a sky‑diving certificate before completing an aerospace engineering degree at ISA Supa. A MIT master’s focused on cockpit ergonomics and artificial‑gravity research, followed by a stint at Airbus Helicopters designing the H225 cockpit, and later a career as a French Air Force test pilot accumulating roughly 3,000 hours on 22 helicopter types.

She cites her grandfather’s Air Force stories and pioneering women like Marie Curie as early inspirations, saying, “Every step in my journey has been driven by curiosity, teamwork, and purpose.” The εpsilon mission will see her conduct microgravity experiments that aim to translate space‑based discoveries into benefits for life on Earth.

Adenot’s trajectory underscores Europe’s growing talent pipeline for crewed missions and provides a visible role model for women in STEM. Her participation in εpsilon strengthens ESA’s scientific agenda and reinforces France’s leadership within the European space community.

Original Description

Born in France in 1982, Sophie Adenot is an engineer, helicopter test pilot and colonel in the French Air and Space Force.

Selected as an ESA astronaut in 2022, she completed her basic training at the European Astronaut Centre in 2024 and launched to the International Space Station on 13 February 2026 for her first mission, εpsilon.

Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)

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