French astronaut Sophie Adeno has returned to Earth after 235 days in orbit and set a record for the longest continuous stay in space by a European astronaut. The 44-year-old Adeno landed with the crew capsule “Crew-12“, which splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. She then arrived at the European Space Agency's training center in Cologne.
Adeno's mission on the International Space Station lasted eight months. From a height of about 400 kilometers, she described the view of the planet as a place where there are no divisions or borders.
“From a height of 400 kilometers, the Earth is seen without divisions and without borders - like a precious planet that we all share,“ Adeno told reporters.During her time in orbit, she became the first French astronaut to go into outer space. Adeno has completed three spacewalks in total, making her mission a significant milestone for French and European participation in spaceflight.
Weightlessness recovery ahead
Returning to Earth is not the end of Adeno's mission. She begins an intensive three-week recovery program aimed at addressing the physiological effects of prolonged weightlessness on the muscles and skeletal system.
A stay in orbit requires a long adaptation to returning to Earth conditions. Adeno will undergo a period of medical monitoring and gradual recovery after the record-breaking mission and three spacewalks.
Sources: bnrnews.bg