France's Sophie Adenot and crew arrive at International Space Station
France 24
by FRANCE 24February 15, 2026
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Sophie Adenot, a French astronaut, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday as part of NASA's Crew-12 mission, marking her historic place as only the second French woman to travel to space. The crew, which includes American Jack Hathaway and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, docked at the ISS after a 34-hour journey aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Their arrival comes just months after Crew-11 was forced to return to Earth early due to a medical evacuation—an unprecedented event in the ISS's history. The station had been operating with a skeleton crew of three astronauts since then.
TheISS, which has continuously hosted astronauts for over 25 years, is currently preparing for its eventual deactivation and re-entry into Earth's atmosphere in 2030. During their eight-month stay, Crew-12 will conduct critical research on the effects of microgravity on human health, including experiments involving artificial intelligence and augmented reality to enable astronauts to perform medical ultrasounds independently.
Sophie Adenot expressed her pride in representing France and Europe on this mission, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in space. The ISS has long been a symbol of post-Cold War collaboration between the U.S., Russia, and other global partners. However, recent tensions have impacted some aspects of this partnership, such as the sudden replacement of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev with Andrey Fedyaev due to unspecified reasons.
The arrival of Crew-12 marks a new chapter for the aging ISS, which has been a cornerstone of human spaceflight since its launch in 1998. As the station nears its end, missions like this one will continue to highlight its scientific achievements and the importance of global collaboration in space exploration. Adenot's journey also serves as an inspiration, breaking barriers for women in space and reinforcing France's role in international
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Originally published on France 24 on 2/15/2026