NASA delayed the return of French astronaut Sophie Adenot and the Crew-12 mission from the International Space Station to no earlier than Wednesday, October 7, 2026, due to adverse weather and sea conditions in the Pacific splashdown zone off the California coast.
The return journey for Sophie Adenot and her crewmates has hit a roadblock because of rough weather. Originally slated for a departure as early as Monday, the crew must now wait after space agency officials reviewed forecasts for the recovery area in the Pacific Ocean.
Weather Conditions Off California Force Schedule Adjustment
Space agency leadership pushed back the timeline after evaluating marine and meteorological data near the recovery site. According to an update shared on social media and through official channels, the joint evaluation by teams on the ground necessitated a hold on the undocking process. The mission now targets a departure at 1:05 a.m. EDT (7:05 in Paris) on Wednesday, October 7, subject to ongoing forecasts. Following an examination of the state of the sea and meteorological factors in the landing sector located off the coast of California, the decision was communicated in a statement issued by the American space administration.
Record-Breaking Months Aboard the International Space Station
The delay extends an already historic orbital stay for the French flyer, who hails from Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire in the Nièvre region. Launched on February 13, she surpassed previous benchmarks on September 3 by logging more than 230 days in space, setting a new record for the longest spaceflight by any European astronaut, male or female. During her time in orbit, she also celebrated her 44th birthday aboard the laboratory in July, having spent nearly eight months total living and working on the orbiting outpost.
Handover Duties and the Journey Back to Europe
Before leaving orbit, the departing personnel are handing over duties to their newly arrived replacements, who reached the station on Friday. Crew-12 members will officially transfer their operational responsibilities on Sunday.
If the weather holds for the revised timeline, the capsule carrying Adenot alongside American astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway and Russian Andrey Fedyaev will splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday around 15:25 GMT (17:25 Paris time). Prior to the delay, the French participant had spoken of her eagerness to take a genuine shower, hug her family, and return to practicing water sports.
