Sophie Adeno in space in 2026: Toulouse, yoga, her son… six things you need to know about the French astronaut

She will be the first winner of the new ESA promotion to go into space in 2026, as announced by the European Space Agency this Wednesday, May 22. Sophie Adeno, a young woman in her forties, has a particularly busy life. A portrait of a woman who makes all her dreams come true.

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Inspired by Marie Curie and Claudie Haignere.

The granddaughter of a former Air Force mechanic who passed on his passion for aeronautics and space, Sophie Adeno tells La Dépêche du Midi: “I grew up in a family where we were forced to be interested in everything. I grew up with a soul. researcher.”

Her space dream dates back to her teenage years: “My sister often reminds me that when I was little, the only poster in my room was a poster of a rocket,” she says. It all started with “reading the biography of Marie Curie, this great woman who inspired many people.” Then, at the age of 14, Claudie Haignere’s first flight was “a real turning point.” “I would never have gotten there if I didn’t have role models,” the astronaut greets.

Toulouse at heart

As for her Tom Pesquet, Toulouse played an important role in the career of Sophie Adeno. The astronaut studied at the ISAE-SupAéro school of the Higher Institute of Aeronautics and Cosmonautics, where in 2004 she received an engineering diploma with a specialty in Flight Dynamics of Spacecraft and Aircraft. She talks about the “fantastic school teachers” who “helped her gain confidence.” And he regularly returns to this school, where he “passes this on to the youth with pleasure.” Since 2009, it has been a sponsor of the social discovery system “Ose l’ISAE-SupAéro”, which aims to promote access to higher education for middle and high school students from priority areas and isolated rural areas.

Helicopter pilot

Sophie Adeno’s professional career began at Airbus Helicopters as a design engineer, where she designed helicopter cabins. She then joined the Air Force. After receiving her helicopter pilot’s license, Sophie Adeno flew search and rescue and then presidential transport missions for fifteen years.

In 2019, she became the first female helicopter test pilot in France. She has more than 3,000 flight hours on 22 types of helicopters. An experienced skydiver, Sophie is also a light aircraft and glider pilot.

Failed in 2008

The Frenchwoman first tried to get into the Esa team in 2008, as part of the promotion of Tom Pesquet. She says La Depeche du Midi looking forward to the discovery of a new selection. “They told me ten years later and nothing came. The day I turned 38, I told myself that I would have to find something else… Except that in 2021 the set has expanded to 50 years old, I worked in particular on the cognitive aspect with the help of a lot of memory and IQ tests, because that by training you progress at a high speed, like an athlete,” testifies Sophie Adeno.

Yoga teacher

Experienced athlete Sophie Adeno enjoys mountain biking, skiing and scuba diving. And for ten years now she has been a fan of yoga, which allows her to cope with stress, which will be very useful for her in space. She tells France Inter that yoga brings her “calmness” and allows her to “keep her body feeling good” and “effective when needed.” And because the 40-year-old never does anything halfway, she became a certified yoga teacher and teaches classes to some of her friends every month.

Housewife

Sophie Adeno is also the proud mother of a little boy. “He’s just happy for his mother. He sees me coming home with such a smile,” she told France Télévisions. “When there is one who is happy, the other is happy to share,” she states in an interview with France 24. “When we do something a little unusual, there is usually a family behind us who supports us.”