Sophie Adenot begins return to Earth after record ISS mission

French astronaut Sophie Adenot is preparing to return to Earth after spending 235 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Adenot, a Colonel in the French Air Force, has set a record for the longest continuous orbital stay by a European astronaut.

Her return journey involves undocking from the ISS in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. The mission is scheduled to conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Thursday, October 8, at approximately 17:34 Paris time. During atmospheric reentry, the capsule's heat shield is expected to withstand temperatures reaching 1,600 °C.

Adenot will return alongside three crewmates: Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Russian Andrei Fedyaev. Her mission, part of the epsilon European component, included three spacewalks totaling nearly 20 hours. Upon landing, the crew will be recovered by a specialized vessel to manage the physical transition from microgravity to Earth's gravity.