"I am in the same shape as before": Key takeaways from Sophie Adenot's press conference following her recovery program

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After spending three weeks in Cologne, the French astronaut returned to ESA headquarters in Paris for a press conference. "I am doing very well," she assured, while also acknowledging that "the mind takes time to readapt."

"What an adventure!" On Monday, November 2, Sophie Adenot held her first press conference since concluding her three-week rehabilitation program to life on Earth. The French astronaut began the regimen at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne (Germany) on October 10, two days after splashing down off the coast of California. For more than an hour, the astronaut fielded questions from journalists with her characteristic smile and joviality. Franceinfo looks back at the key takeaways.

On her physical recovery

Following eight months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for the Epsilon mission, Sophie Adenot was immediately asked about her health. On October 10, on the tarmac of Cologne Airport, the helicopter test pilot appeared very weak, requiring the support of two doctors to stand and address the press. "I am doing very well," affirmed the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut.

"The return, as you all noticed when I arrived in Cologne, was physiologically very, very demanding. (...) Today, it can be said that I am in the same shape as before, if not better." Sophie Adenot at the press conference

at the press conference

While physical recovery is progressing well, it also takes time for the mind to return to Earth. "The mind takes time to readapt," she admitted, noting in a lighthearted tone that seeing objects resting on a table seemed almost strange. She expects them to float, just as they do on the International Space Station, where everything is secured with carabiners, strapped down, or fastened with Velcro.

Sophie Adenot also expressed "the joy of rediscovering Earth's little pleasures," which are "perhaps ordinary and insignificant for people who stayed on Earth during this eight-month period, but which for [me] are magical." She recounted being "mesmerized" the first time she heard rain hitting a skylight again.

On the initial results of her mission

Since returning to Earth, Sophie Adenot has undergone numerous physiological samplings. The objective is to supplement astronaut monitoring datasets before, during, and after missions aboard the International Space Station. In a previous statement on October 13, she noted that initial findings regarding her bone density and muscle mass were "absolutely mind-blowing." Thanks in particular to an exercise and athletic training regimen, "not only was there no loss of bone density and no loss of muscle mass, but in certain areas of the body, an increase in both was observed," she declared. A total surprise. "We are overturning what has been stated for years," she commented. "We are awaiting further analyses, of course, but this will provide incredible hope to many patients: those suffering from osteoporosis, elderly individuals, not to mention degenerative diseases."

"I performed my training at the exact same time every day, using that first burst of morning energy when I really pushed myself to the limit," Sophie Adenot detailed on Monday, describing resistance exercises conducted with increasingly heavy loads on a machine called Ared. "To increase in density, bones need heavy loads. This has been proven by several scientific papers," she explained. This contrasts with the practices and knowledge prevalent thirty years ago, when "the focus was rather on fitness and cardio," she pointed out.

On her spacewalks

Sophie Adenot fulfilled her dream and attained the ultimate goal of every astronaut by performing three extravehicular activities during her stay aboard the ISS. While she stated she felt no fear during the first, she recalled a specific moment during the second when she felt "overwhelmed" by the circumstances. While navigating an unusual path along the station's hull, she found herself at the very front of the ISS, "facing directly forward," with the Earth in front of her.

"It is breathtaking to see only the Earth, the sheer vastness of the Earth, that incredible blue, and then the void. There was nothing else." Sophie Adenot at the press conference

at the press conference

On her observations from the ISS

Asked about observing the celestial canopy and outer space from the International Space Station, Sophie Adenot acknowledged that she was not the most qualified expert to discuss it, but conveyed infectious enthusiasm. "What you can observe from the Cupola is, first and foremost, the sheer contrast of the blackness, which is of a truly impressive density," she said. "The void of space is black and dense compared to the brightness of the Earth."

"On Earth, we are used to seeing constellations: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor," she noted. But "from up there, you see thousands and thousands of them, and it is much more difficult to identify the constellations."

As for the Moon, it does not display various colors as seen from the ground, but "it appears sharper, purer because you are not viewing it through the atmosphere," she continued. "I remember magnificent moonsets where you could see the pink hue of the clouds as the Moon descended. It was deeply moving, very beautiful, and quite spiritual as well," she added, also mentioning "magnificent" auroras that she described as "a dancing green light."

On the future of her career

Following a record-setting maiden mission, how does Sophie Adenot view the next steps of her astronaut career? "I haven't started negotiating anything," she asserted. However, when asked about the Artemis program, which aims for a sustainable human return to the Moon, she acknowledged that setting foot on Earth's natural satellite is a guiding aspiration.

"Yes, walking on the Moon is a dream of mine. But no, I will not pursue it at any cost just for the sake of it. No." Sophie Adenot at the press conference

at the press conference

"I intend to stay true to myself and grounded," she continued. "And if one day these missions take me to the Moon, I will be delighted to go and deeply honored to be entrusted with such a great responsibility."

One thing is certain: Sophie Adenot plans to remain active for as long as possible. "After this space adventure, I am even more passionate about space exploration than I was before," she smiled. "So you won't be seeing me retire anytime soon."

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