French astronaut Sophie Adenot returns after record 230-day mission

French astronaut Sophie Adenot returned to Earth on October 8 after 230 days aboard the International Space Station, setting a new duration record for a European astronaut. The Crew-12 Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off California at 17:34 Paris time, carrying Adenot, Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Russian Andrei Fediaev.

After recovery, the crew flew to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for initial medical checks. Adenot then traveled to the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, where she will undergo a tailored three-week rehabilitation program to readapt to gravity.

“I went to space full of dreams, and I came back full of gratitude.”

On October 10, Adenot made her first public appearance at Cologne airport, supported by ESA flight surgeons David Kim and Bimba Hoyer. She described the mission as "full of joy" but acknowledged difficult moments, saying: "I went to space full of dreams, and I came back full of gratitude."

Adenot noted that from 400 km altitude there are "no divisions, no borders, just a precious planet we all share." She joked that "tears follow gravity now" after becoming emotional during her speech. The 44-year-old engineer, who celebrated her birthday in orbit in July, said she looks forward to hugging family, taking a shower, and returning to water sports.