What Earth looks like from space: Crew-12 astronaut shares ‘powerful’ view
Sophie Adenot became the first French female astronaut to perform a spacewalk
French astronaut Sophie Adenot, one of the Crew-12 members, has revealed what Earth looks like from space after spending 8 months in space.
Adenot and her Crew-12 team returned to Earth on Thursday, splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast inside their SpaceX Dragon capsule after completing a mission aboard the International Space Station.
During the mission, she spent a total of 235 days in space, marking a milestone for the longest uninterrupted orbital stay of a European astronaut.
Speaking about how Earth looked when she was 400km away from the planet, Adenot said while in tears she could see there are "no divisions, no borders" but "just a precious planet that we all share.”
"It's a cocktail of astonishing emotions, it's incredible. It's great to be back on Earth, but it also comes with its share of challenges, especially physiological ones," she told a press conference.
"And when the commandos pulled me out of the capsule, the first thing I said to them was, 'Send me back to space, please!' It was much easier up there," she added.
After landing, Adenot appeared visibly weakened and required assistance from two ESA physicians. Spaceflight causes bone loss, muscle wasting, cardiovascular deconditioning, and visual changes.
She has started an intensive 3-week physical recovery program in Germany to regain her pre-flight fitness.
She became the first French female astronaut to perform a spacewalk, completing a total of three spacewalks.
