what now awaits Sophie Adenot during her astronaut training

The French Sophie Adenot, chosen by the European Space Agency in November for the new promotion of European astronauts, begins Monday, April 3 in Germany her training. Since her appointment, Sophie Adenot has had a very busy schedule. At the beginning of March, she told France Bleu Occitanie, during a visit to her former engineering school in Toulouse, that she had taken “Long behind [son] moving to Germany, but that’s okay! I’m very confident!”.

The last few weeks have therefore been devoted to settling in Cologne. This is where the training center for European astronauts is located, where Sophie Adenot is expected on Monday April 3 by Franck De Winne, himself a former astronaut and patron of the premises. “We will, of course, welcome them, show them the center and their offices, describes Franck de Winne, and then after we will start, we will introduce them to the people they will work with, our operation and we will start training”. A basic training that will last a year and which mixes theoretical learning and practical sessions, in particular to know how to use the tools of the international space station.

Simulators, pool training and medical learning

“We first have a simulator for our Columbus module, but also sessions to learn how to work with robotic arms in space” points out Franck de Winne, without forgetting “training in our swimming pools to have techniques for extravehicular outings”. Sport will also be “Very important”. All this will allow us to learn “how to make repairs on board the station, do the medical follow-up of other astronauts”.

Sophie Adenot who may have in mind when she returns to school these few words exchanged this winter with her now colleague, the German astronaut Thomas Maurer, who said to her: “The most difficult part was the selection. Now everything becomes easier and lighter. So there is nothing to worry about. You are going to have fun.”