At the ESA Astronaut Training Center in Cologne, Sophie Adenot’s eyes sparkle as she proudly holds her astronaut certificate. She just completed her 47-week basic training alongside her colleagues Raphaël Liégeois, Marco Sieber, Rosemary Coogan, and Pablo Alvarez Fernandez.
Sophie Adenot: It was amazing. It was intense. Honestly, I loved every moment of it. There were four main areas of learning. The theoretical training will help us communicate with researchers who we will work with on scientific experiments aboard the ISSISS (biology, astrophysics, materials physics, etc.). We also had more hands-on modules like operating the Canadian robotic arm, learning basic procedures for spacewalks. There was a lot of physical training because on the Station, it’s 2 to 2.5 hours of exercise per day. So, it’s essential to know your body well to perform all movements without getting injured onboard. Lastly, there were survival training stages, a series of really cool and unique experiences.
Futura: What did you learn, Sophie, from the two survival training stages in the mountains and the Baltic Sea?
Sophie Adenot: The maritime survival training wasn’t entirely new to me as I had done many as a helicopter pilot capable of conducting water rescue missions. We learned how to operate and perform first aid on a lifeboat, climb aboard the lifeboat, bail out excess water, signal for help, etc. The mountain survival training was a step up from what I had experienced before. It was really great. The most unusual experience for me was sleeping at -10°C in the snow, isolated as we were instructed to stay 400 meters apart from each other.
Futura: What did you learn from the extravehicular training sessions?
Sophie Adenot: It’s just an initiation. It was a module I loved because it’s very hands-on. The operational communication is very similar to what we have in a cockpit. In aeronautics, all procedures are highly codified and focused on safety. Here, it’s not only about operational efficiency, setting up the right equipment at the right place with the right tools and procedures, but also about managing safety and being able to rescue a colleague if they have a health issue. I was fortunate to train with Luca Parmitano, a highly experienced Italian astronaut, on a spacewalk. At the end of the session, we had to perform a rescue. I also did a secondDuring my training, I had to rescue Raphael.
Futura: Did you have a water training simulation in your helmet like what happened to Luca Parmitano during his spacewalk in 2013?
Sophie Adenot: Believe it or not, during my session with Luca, I experienced water leakage in my helmet! We were ready to initiate the emergency procedure, but fortunately, we didn’t have to.
Futura: Speaking of procedures, you must have had to learn a lot, not to mention the many other courses. Not easy to have to assimilate so much…
Sophie Adenot: It was intense, but we were prepared for it. This training is really well done. There are dedicated phases for learning. It’s a bit like a long-distance race, at a fairly manageable pace. Sometimes, there are peaks of intensity where you really have to give it your all.
Futura: Your promotion has very diverse profiles. It must be a strength, right?
Indeed, we are highly complementary. No two people have the same profession. Raphael is a neuroscience researcher, Marco is a doctor, Rose is an astrophysicist, and Pablo is a systems engineer, notably on Exomars. What’s also remarkable, and I don’t know how they selected us, is that we are also complementary in character, which makes us truly cohesive. During the mountain survival stage, we were 400 meters apart. It was a surprise, and our phones and watches were taken away. But we found each other the next morning; it was as if we had only been separated by 20 centimeters because we were so united.
Futura: What was Alexander Gerst’s role (basic training pilot) and the other ESA astronauts like Thomas Pesquet?
Alex helped us a lot in being so united because he emphasized the human aspect of this adventure. The instructors who taught us are all high-level experts in their fields, with extensive experience in space missions. Some of them have even trained Claudie Haigneré! However, none of them have been to space. Therefore, the astronauts from Alex’s class add a touch of humanity, with Alex leading the way. They were very generous with advice, which was great.
Futura: You also met other astronauts, including at NASA’s training center in Houston.
Sophie Adenot: We met American and Japanese astronauts.What is quite amusing is that we also met other astronaut candidates. It’s a pretty incredible feeling to find yourself there in an international class. It’s something I’ve never seen before. It feels like being part of a global adventure. I think we become even more aware of this when we are in space and when we see Earth, we are all inhabitants of the same spaceship.
Futura: What is the next step in the program for you and your colleagues?
Sophie Adenot: We will move on to a phase called “Pre-assignment Training.” It is a phase that is awaiting a mission assignment that will come later. Each of us will have a long-duration flight before 2030. It’s going to happen very quickly. By then, we will have other operational qualifications such as robotic arm operation training (at least three weeks in Canada) and extravehicular activities in the pool in Houston for five to six months.
Futura: Are there any vacations planned in all of this?
Sophie Adenot: Yessss!