ESA Astronaut Sophie Adenot Scheduled to Return to Europe Following ISS Mission

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot is scheduled to return to Europe around October 7–8, 2026, arriving at the Flugbereitschaft BMVg airport in Cologne, Germany, following a nearly eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

According to an ESA announcement, a tarmac Q&A session with Adenot is provisionally planned upon her arrival, subject to her medical condition and operational requirements. ESA noted that individual interviews with the astronaut will not take place, though agency experts may be available.

Adenot launched to the ISS on February 13, 2026, for her "εpsilon" mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Florida, alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev as part of Crew-12.

During the mission, Adenot set a record as the European astronaut with the longest single spaceflight, passing 200 days in orbit on September 3, 2026. She also conducted three spacewalks over 15 days, totaling 19 hours and 42 minutes of extra-vehicular activity.

Following her arrival in Germany, Adenot will be transferred to ESA’s European Astronaut Centre and the German Aerospace Centre’s (DLR) :envihab facility for debriefing, medical monitoring, and a dedicated physical rehabilitation program supervised by ESA flight surgeons and physiotherapists.

ESA has opened a call for media accreditation for the airport arrival, closing on October 1 at 17:00 CEST, while noting that access will be limited due to security and operational constraints.

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