Summary
ESA expects astronaut Sophie Adenot to return to Europe around 7 or 8 October 2026 after a nearly eight-month ISS mission. She passed 200 days in orbit and completed three spacewalks during the mission.
The European Space Agency (ESA) expects astronaut Sophie Adenot to return to European soil around 7 or 8 October 2026, following a nearly eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). ESA’s 25 September announcement says the timing is provisional and depends on operational requirements and Adenot’s medical condition after landing.
A media Q&A is expected on the tarmac at Flugbereitschaft BMVg airport in Cologne, Germany. ESA invited journalists to register interest by 17:00 CEST on Thursday 1 October; registration does not guarantee access, and one-to-one interviews with Adenot are not planned.
Mission milestones in orbit
Adenot launched to the ISS on 13 February 2026 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-12 team. ESA says she passed 200 days in orbit on 3 September, becoming the European astronaut with the longest single spaceflight. She also completed three spacewalks within 15 days, accumulating 19 hours and 42 minutes of extra-vehicular activity (EVA)—time spent working outside the station.
The agency identifies the mission as εpsilon. Crew-12 included NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev.
Recovery after landing
After returning, Adenot is expected to go to ESA’s European Astronaut Centre and the German Aerospace Centre’s envihab facility. ESA describes envihab as a centre for mission debriefing, medical monitoring and rehabilitation. Its space-medicine team, including flight surgeons, physiotherapists and physical trainers, is to support her readaptation to Earth’s gravity through a dedicated recovery programme.
The return date and airport media opportunity remain subject to change. ESA says the timing and format will be confirmed later, and that additional media opportunities may be arranged in the days after her return.