France's Sophie Adenot to spend nine months on ISS after medical evacuation

French astronaut Sophie Adenot speaks at a press conference about her upcoming mission to the International Space Station at the National Centre for Space Studies in Toulouse, southwestern France, on 24 November 2025. AFP - VALENTINE CHAPUIS

French astronaut Sophie Adenot’s first mission to the International Space Station is being brought forward and extended to nine months after an unprecedented medical evacuation forced a reshuffle of the station’s crew rota.

NASA said Adenot’s Epsilon mission, originally planned for mid-February, could now launch as early as 8 February from Florida. The space agency also confirmed the mission will last nine months instead of the usual six.