“My dream would be to one day fly aboard a European ship”

by time news

Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency, and Sophie Adenot, the new French astronaut selected last October. Sebastien Soriano / Le Figaro

INTERVIEW – The new French astronaut and Josef Aschbacher, director of the European Space Agency, gave an interview to the Figaro.

The French Sophie Adenot was selected in October to be part of the new promotion of astronauts of the European Space Agency (ESA). An engineer by training (Isae-Supaéro), the 40-year-old young woman is also a helicopter pilot and lieutenant-colonel in the air force. With the Director General of ESA, Josef Aschbacher, they present European ambitions for human spaceflight and the exploration of the Solar System.

LE FIGARO. – You were selected four months ago. How do you live the wait before your first space flight ?

Sophie ADENOT. – I would say that I am neither anxious nor impatient. I am well aware that patience is an essential quality to be a good astronaut. Since I was chosen, I intend to take full advantage of each stage. It starts with three years of minimum training, maybe more. They promise to be extremely intense and exciting. Thanks to my experience as a helicopter pilot…

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