Esa aims to launch the Frenchwoman Adenot and the Belgian Liégeois to the International Space Station in 2026.

Esa aims to launch the Frenchwoman Adenot and the Belgian Liégeois to the International Space Station in 2026.

The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to dispatch French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Belgian astronaut Raphaël Liégeois to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2026. These two are the first individuals from their 2020 astronaut group to participate in missions to the ISS, according to ESA's announcement at its space summit in Brussels.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher deemed it a pivotal moment for ESA. Sending these two astronauts aboard the ISS advances ESA's objectives by retaining European excellence and involvement in present and future human spaceflights.

At first, it was uncertain which specific missions Adenot and Liégeois were going to the ISS on. ESA reported that their fellow astronauts Pablo Álvarez Fernández from Spain, Rosemary Coogan from the UK, and Marco Sieber from Switzerland would also venture to the ISS by the end of the decade.

The most recent (2020) class of five professional astronauts underwent selection two years ago. It marked the first time in over a decade that ESA had recruited a new cadre of trainees. In April, these five completed their foundational training at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne.

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1. This milestone marks the first time that Sophie Adenot, a Frenchwoman, and Raphaël Liégeois, a Belgian, will join forces for a mission to the ISS, as announced by ESA.
2. The participation of Adenot and Liégeois in the 2026 ISS mission signifies a significant step forward for the Belgian Space Agency and the French Space Agency, both part of ESA.
3. The International Space Station (ISS) mission in 2026 will be Adenot's and Liégeois's opportunity to contribute to maintaining European excellence in human spaceflights, under the guidance of ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
4. As part of ESA's long-term objectives, the mission involving Adenot and Liégeois on the ISS will be part of a series of missions, with other astronauts such as Pablo Álvarez Fernández, Rosemary Coogan, and Marco Sieber also set to embark on their missions by the end of the decade.

Source: www.ntv.de