Sophie Adenot arrives at the ISS: the official start of ESA’s εpsilon mission in February 2026.
The arrival of the new crew at the International Space Station (ISS) on 14 February 2026 at 21:15 Central European Time marked the start of the εpsilon mission, the first space mission of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot. In the SpaceX Crew Dragon
Freedom capsule, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev also arrived at the station. Docking with the station was completed after about 34 hours of flight from launch from Florida, and the crew’s arrival returns the ISS to full operational staffing after a period of reduced crew numbers and the postponement of some activities outside the station.
Launch and docking with the station: 34 hours in orbit before entering the ISS
The Crew-12 mission crew launched on 13 February 2026 at 11:15 Central European Time (10:15 UTC) atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in the United States, as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. After a series of orbital maneuvers, the
Freedom capsule docked with the station’s docking module on 14 February 2026 at 21:15 CET (20:15 UTC). According to NASA, this is a rotation mission that will last approximately eight to nine months, and during their stay the crew will conduct scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and maintenance of the station’s systems.
During the journey to the ISS, Adenot and Hathaway—both in space for the first time and with test pilot experience—had time to adapt to life in microgravity and to familiarize themselves with spacecraft operating procedures. This transition period, which every crew uses for becoming proficient, is especially important for new members because it enables them, after entering the ISS, to integrate more quickly into the station’s operational rhythm and take on part of the tasks that had accumulated while the crew was smaller.
Welcome aboard and the symbolism of “astronaut wings”
After pressure equalization and opening the hatch between the spacecraft and the station, Crew-12 were welcomed by members of the previous team. According to ESA information, the crew were greeted by NASA astronaut Christopher Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, who arrived at the ISS in November 2025 aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. The short protocol segment—which in practice is also a safety check that all systems are stable and that the crew can move among the modules—ended with a ceremony during which Adenot and Hathaway received “astronaut wings” from the station commander, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov.
Such ceremonies, although brief, play an important role in crew culture: they mark the transition from the travel phase to the phase of full operational work. In the case of εpsilon, additional weight comes from the fact that this is a mission that, according to ESA plans, could be the longest flight by a European astronaut to date, with a planned duration of up to nine months.
Why εpsilon matters for Europe
ESA calls the mission εpsilon, and the name carries multi-layered symbolism. ESA explains that in mathematics the symbol ε is associated with “small quantities,” which is interpreted as an emphasis on individual contributions in large international projects. In addition, ε is also used as a designation for stars in constellations, so the mission follows the French tradition of naming flights after celestial bodies. In the European context, the mission is also important because Adenot is the first “career” astronaut from ESA’s 2022 class, known by the nickname “Hoppers,” to fly into space.
ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander emphasized that εpsilon shows Europe’s intention to maintain a continuous presence in low Earth orbit and to keep the scientific use of the ISS at the center of that approach. In that framework, Adenot is not just a “passenger” on the station, but a key operational person responsible for part of the European research capabilities on the station and for coordinating experiments coming from European laboratories.
Role on the ISS: Columbus and Kibo at the center of operations
During her stay on the ISS, Sophie Adenot will serve as a crew specialist for the Columbus module, the European laboratory on the station, as well as for the Japanese science module Kibo. In practice, this means that a large part of her workday will be filled with preparing and running experiments, handling samples, controlling experimental systems, and reporting to ground centers that monitor experiments in real time.
Columbus is one of the key elements of Europe’s presence on the ISS: it enables long-term research in microgravity conditions, from biology and medicine to fluid physics and Earth observation. Kibo is the largest single research module on the station, and the cooperation between ESA and the Japanese agency JAXA in its use is an example of how the ISS scientific program relies on sharing infrastructure and exchanging resources among partners.
Up to 36 experiments from Europe: medicine, climate, and technology
According to ESA, as part of εpsilon Adenot will conduct up to 36 experiments from Europe, seven of which were developed by the French space agency CNES specifically for this mission. The range of topics includes research on human physiology, studying changes in muscles, bones, the cardiovascular system, and the nervous system during longer stays in microgravity, as well as projects dealing with climate and Earth observation.
Some of the experiments are focused on technology demonstrations—testing new materials, sensors, software systems, or procedures—which are important because the ISS also serves as a “testbed” for future missions deeper into the Solar System. ESA emphasizes that the results of such research return to Earth through new medical insights, better processing of environmental data, and the development of technologies that can be applied in industry, healthcare, or security systems.
For European research teams, the length of the mission is especially important. A longer stay enables experiments to be conducted in multiple phases, measurements to be repeated, and long-term effects to be tracked, which is difficult to achieve in shorter flights. It also creates a larger “window” for unforeseen situations, such as technical delays or changes to the station’s work schedule, which are common in space missions.
Broader context: the ISS temporarily operated with a smaller crew
The arrival of Crew-12 also had an operational dimension that goes beyond scientific plans. According to information from NASA and international media, in the previous period the ISS operated with a reduced crew after the earlier return of one crew for a medical reason, which led to a temporary reduction in the number of people on the station. In such circumstances, priorities are often redirected to system maintenance, safety, and essential operations, while some scientific activities and spacewalks are postponed.
With the arrival of the four-person crew, the station returns to a capacity that allows parallel work on experiments, routine maintenance tasks, and preparation for activities outside the station. That is precisely why rotation crew arrivals are not just a “shift change,” but also key moments for the rhythm of research and logistics in orbit.
Who is Sophie Adenot and why she is described as a “new face” of European astronautics
Sophie Adenot comes from a new generation of ESA astronauts selected in 2022. In its materials, ESA emphasized that she is a career astronaut who relatively quickly went from basic training to mission-specific preparation. In practice, this means that the training program was compressed and strongly focused on the roles she will perform on the ISS, including work in the Columbus module, safety procedures, cargo operations, robotics, and cooperation with international partners.
For France, εpsilon also has a national dimension. CNES states that this is the first French participation on an ISS crew since Thomas Pesquet’s Alpha mission in 2021, and that Adenot becomes only the second Frenchwoman to fly to the ISS, 25 years after Claudie Haigneré. Such figures are often highlighted because space programs have a strong impact on public perception of science and technology, and astronauts become “ambassadors” of research in schools, universities, and industry.
International crew and the geopolitics of cooperation in orbit
Crew-12 consists of representatives of three agencies: NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos. Although political relations on Earth often change, the ISS has for decades been an example of infrastructure that functions on the basis of operational cooperation and division of responsibilities. Each agency contributes certain modules, transport capacities, logistics, and scientific programs, and crew safety depends on the compatibility of systems and procedures.
Given that the mission will last eight to nine months, the crew will also participate in transitions between Expeditions 74 and 75, which includes changes of command, planning scientific campaigns, and adjusting the schedule according to system status and the availability of cargo flights. In such long missions, crews often go through periods of intensive work, but also phases when priorities shift to maintenance and repairs, depending on the station’s technical condition.
What Europe gains: science, technology, and preparation for future missions
ESA, NASA, and partners increasingly emphasize that the ISS is a platform for preparing missions to the Moon and beyond, because it enables testing the human body in long-duration space conditions and validating technologies that must operate reliably for months. Results of experiments in the areas of crew physiology and psychology are used to develop protocols for nutrition, exercise, radiation protection, and maintaining mental health during long missions.
In the technology domain, space experiments often lead to innovations in energy management, water and air recycling, materials resistant to extreme conditions, and autonomous monitoring systems. In the context of climate and environmental research, the crew’s work on the ISS also supports instrument calibration and comparisons with measurements from Earth, which can improve the interpretation of satellite observation data.
For European industry, such missions have additional value through contracts for equipment, the development of experiments, and participation in programs that can later be transferred into commercial products. In that sense, εpsilon is also part of a broader strategy to strengthen the European space sector in a period in which there is increasing talk about the commercialization of low Earth orbit and the future of stations after the end of ISS operations.
Communication from orbit: social media and the mission’s public visibility
ESA announced that during the mission Adenot will share content from orbit via her social media profiles, including Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Such communication has become standard because the public gains a more direct insight into the crew’s daily life, while agencies thereby strengthen interest in science and inspire younger generations. ESA also maintains a dedicated page for the εpsilon mission, where experiment previews, video materials, and technical information are published.
In the coming weeks, the crew is expected to gradually enter the full work schedule, with an emphasis on preparing laboratory systems, checking equipment, and starting experiments that have precisely defined time windows. As the mission progresses, part of the activities will also include the logistics of cargo flights, allocating samples, and returning materials to Earth.
Sources:- ESA – official εpsilon mission page (mission description, astronaut’s role, and indicative research plan): esa.int
- NASA – “What You Need to Know About NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission” (data on the crew and mission objectives): nasa.gov
- CNES – Mission Epsilon (French program and experiments related to the mission): cnes.fr
- Associated Press – report on the crew’s arrival and the context of an earlier medical return (ISS operational context): apnews.com
- Space.com – reports on the Crew-12 launch and crew member profiles (flight and crew details): space.com
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