What the road to space looks like: Sophie Adenot’s training for ESA’s εpsilon mission shows how crucial every detail is
Astronaut training is rarely limited to the spectacular sights of weightlessness and rocket launches alone. Long before French European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot flew to the International Space Station, behind her were months of systematic preparation combining medicine, engineering, psychophysical endurance, and team discipline. This is precisely what ESA’s latest video about preparations for the εpsilon mission, published on 5 March 2026, shows: through the work of doctors, instructors, and software experts, it reveals how astronaut readiness is the result of a long-term and multilayered process.
At the centre of this story is Sophie Adenot, an ESA astronaut who was launched to the International Space Station on 13 February 2026 as part of NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission. The Dragon capsule docked with the station on 14 February at 21:15 Central European Time, officially marking the start of ESA’s εpsilon mission. According to official ESA data, this is her first space mission, planned to last around nine months, within Expeditions 74 and 75. Adenot embarked on the flight together with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
A mission whose name carries the idea of a “small, but important” contribution
The name εpsilon was not chosen by chance, nor is it merely a symbolic marketing detail. ESA states that the letter epsilon is used in mathematics to denote a small quantity, which in the context of spaceflight is interpreted as a reminder that in the vast and complex system of human space exploration, even an apparently small contribution matters to the final success. In astronomy, it is also the designation for the fifth-brightest star in a constellation, and the name simultaneously refers to the five professional astronauts from ESA’s class selected in 2022.
That symbolic framework matches the very nature of astronaut preparation well. What the public most often sees is the final act of the mission: liftoff, docking with the station, and work in orbit. But in reality, every segment of the flight rests on hundreds of smaller operational steps, checks, simulations, and procedures. The video dedicated to training for the εpsilon mission therefore highlights not only Sophie Adenot’s personal readiness, but also the entire support system without which no astronaut can safely go into orbit or work there for months.
From Cologne to orbit: where the real astronaut routine begins
The foundation of the training took place at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, one of the key hubs of ESA’s crew preparation programme. There, Adenot learned spacecraft systems, crew working procedures, and the operational logic of everyday life in space. Such training does not involve only the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, but also the development of a specific way of thinking: an astronaut must quickly understand a technical problem, connect it with a procedure, assess risk, and react calmly, often under conditions of limited time and great responsibility.
ESA reminds that Sophie Adenot is part of the astronaut generation selected in 2022 and that she completed basic training on 22 April 2024. This was followed by mission-specific preparation, that is, the transition from general astronaut education to training directly linked to a specific flight, a specific crew, and specific tasks on the International Space Station. That transition is precisely important because it shows how an astronaut moves from being a candidate and trainee to becoming a team member who must function in a real operation.
In practice, this means that learning the systems of the space station and capsule is not separated from physical conditioning, procedural exercises, and medical preparation. An astronaut must know how the equipment works, how to use a scientific instrument, how an emergency procedure is carried out, but also how their own body reacts to changes in pressure, isolation, strain, and long-term stays in microgravity. That is why training does not stop after one phase, but is constantly refreshed and upgraded.
Medical preparation is not a formality, but an operational necessity
One of the emphases in ESA’s video is placed on continuous medical training and support, and among the speakers is Bimba Hoyer, an ESA flight surgeon. This is an important detail because an astronaut’s medical readiness is not merely an initial examination before the mission, but an ongoing process that lasts before, during, and after the flight. On a long-duration mission aboard the ISS, an astronaut must not only be physically fit, but must also be trained to recognise symptoms, use medical protocols, and work with equipment intended for situations in which immediate hospital care is not available.
ESA’s XR Lab in Cologne is meanwhile taking on an increasingly important role. According to the official description of that laboratory, applications of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality are developed there for astronaut training, including familiarisation with the layout of the International Space Station, operating the robotic arm, practising spacewalks, and also a medical programme as an integral part of astronauts’ basic medical preparation. In other words, virtual reality in this case is not an add-on for attractiveness, but a tool that enables repetition of complex scenarios, practice of reactions, and reduction of the room for error.
Such an approach is becoming increasingly important as space missions grow longer and crews are expected to have greater autonomy. On the ISS it is still possible to rely on strong support from Earth, but future missions to the Moon and Mars will require a greater degree of crew self-reliance. That is why today’s training, seemingly focused on the station, actually fits into broader preparation for a new phase of human space exploration.
Neutral buoyancy: the closest to weightlessness that can be achieved on Earth
Another important preparation element highlighted in the video is training under neutral buoyancy conditions, discussed by Hervé Stevenin, head of ESA’s unit for extravehicular activity and parabolic flight training and manager of the Neutral Buoyancy Facility. This type of training uses water to simulate as faithfully as possible the conditions of reduced weight and movement outside a spacecraft. ESA states that neutral buoyancy is not the same as real weightlessness, because water resistance and part of the gravitational effect are still felt, but it is the closest practical simulation of microgravity on Earth.
That is precisely why such training has great value for spacewalks, handling large objects, working with tools, and practising movement coordination. Underwater, astronauts learn how to move, how to maintain spatial orientation, and how to perform precise tasks in bulky suits, where every movement must be planned more carefully than on Earth. ESA additionally states that for specific extravehicular activities astronauts undergo training sessions lasting several hours, and the amount of practice depends on the complexity of the future task and on emergency scenarios.
For the wider public, such scenes often look like demanding diving training. But operationally speaking, it is one of the most important schools of patience and precision. In space there is no room for the kind of improvisation possible in many terrestrial environments. If an astronaut in orbit has to repair equipment, install a new component, or respond to a technical problem, body and mind must already be accustomed to the fact that every movement requires a different rhythm, a different assessment, and a different control than on Earth.
Virtual reality as an extension of classical training
Among the speakers in the video is also Lionel Ferra, head of ESA’s software and artificial intelligence team, which shows how astronaut preparation can no longer be viewed separately from digital technologies. The role of the XR Lab and similar tools is to allow astronauts to go through spatially and procedurally complex situations multiple times without the logistical constraints involved in working in large pools, simulators, or specialised facilities.
This does not mean that virtual reality replaces classical methods, but that it complements them. While neutral buoyancy helps the body adopt a different sense of movement and work, virtual reality helps the brain repeatedly go through module layouts, the sequence of actions, and responses to malfunctions. ESA explicitly states that applications are developed in the XR Lab for familiarisation with the station’s internal layout, operating robotic systems, and practising space activities. For an astronaut who must function in a confined, technically complex, and safety-sensitive environment, such repetition means greater safety and greater operational reliability.
It is precisely in that combination of physical and digital preparation that the direction of modern space training becomes visible. There is no single magical training that “creates” an astronaut. Instead, there is a network of interconnected methods that together build expertise, resilience, and routine. The εpsilon mission is therefore interesting not only because of Sophie Adenot’s flight itself, but also as a demonstration of how the European space sector is adopting new tools for more demanding future tasks.
Crew-12 and the European presence on the ISS
Official NASA and ESA data show that Adenot flew on the Crew-12 mission as one of the two mission specialists, alongside Andrey Fedyaev, while Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway served as commander and pilot. The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew programme, and upon arrival at the station the crew became part of Expeditions 74 and 75. NASA states that during their multi-month stay, the Crew-12 members will conduct scientific research and technological demonstrations important for future flights to the Moon and Mars, but also for applications useful on Earth.
For ESA, the εpsilon mission is also important because it represents the first flight of Sophie Adenot, one of the astronauts of the newer generation of the European corps. In symbolic terms, it is a confirmation of the continuity of Europe’s presence in human spaceflight, and in operational terms it is the inclusion of a new astronaut class in real multi-month missions. The French space agency CNES additionally points out that this is the first mission of a French female or male astronaut to the ISS since Thomas Pesquet’s Alpha mission in 2021.
But the importance of this mission is not only national or representative. At a time when international partners are preparing for more complex programmes beyond low Earth orbit, every long-duration mission on the ISS is also becoming a platform for training future standards of crew autonomy, work with experiments, medical monitoring, and digital support. In that sense, Sophie Adenot’s preparation for εpsilon is not merely the story of one astronaut, but also a model example of a broader change in the way human spaceflights are planned and carried out.
What the training video actually tells the public
The video “Training for the εpsilon mission” does not portray spaceflight as a series of heroised scenes, but as the result of precise, often quiet, and long-term work. The focus is not only on the astronaut’s personal efforts, but also on the experts behind the mission: the flight surgeon monitoring medical readiness, the extravehicular activity instructor training behaviour in simulated microgravity conditions, and the software and artificial intelligence expert explaining how digital tools are becoming an integral part of space operations.
In doing so, ESA is also sending the public a broader message about the nature of the modern space industry. It is no longer only the domain of pilots and rocket engineers, but a system in which doctors, trainers, programmers, simulation designers, and operational teams on Earth play an equally important role. The name εpsilon, which points to “small, but important” contributions, at that level proves to be an almost literal description of how a successful mission is created.
For a reader who follows space topics outside a narrow professional circle, that may be precisely the most interesting aspect of the whole story. The greatest part of a spaceflight does not take place at the moment of launch, but in the months and years that precede it. In them, the ability is built to work calmly, accurately, and safely in orbit. And when an astronaut such as Sophie Adenot finally arrives at the International Space Station, behind that moment stand not only one person and one rocket, but an entire infrastructure of knowledge, practice, and international cooperation that turns spaceflight from a risky undertaking into a carefully managed operation.
Sources:- European Space Agency (ESA) – official εpsilon mission page with data on launch, docking, crew, and planned mission duration (link)
- ESA – official announcement on the start of the εpsilon mission after the Dragon capsule docked with the International Space Station on 14 February 2026 (link)
- NASA – official announcement on the Crew-12 crew composition and the roles of the mission members (link)
- NASA – overview of the Crew-12 mission and the scientific goals of the multi-month stay on the ISS (link)
- ESA – official text about the XR Lab and the use of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality in astronaut training, including medical training (link)
- ESA – official overview of spacewalk training and neutral buoyancy as the closest Earth-based simulation of microgravity (link)
- ESA Television – description of the video package “Sophie Adenot: Epsilon mission training”, published on 28 January 2026, documenting mission-specific training ahead of the flight (link)
- ESA Exploration Blog – introduction of the εpsilon mission name and insignia at the Paris Air Show on 20 June 2025 and an explanation of the mission’s symbolism (link)
- CNES – overview of the French part of the Epsilon mission and the broader context of Sophie Adenot’s flight to the International Space Station (link)
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