On February 13, 2026, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot launched from Florida, USA, for her inaugural flight to the International Space Station. The mission, designated as epsilon, was carried out on a SpaceX Dragon vehicle as part of the Crew-12 expedition. Adenot joined NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, forming a crew of four for this journey.
The name epsilon reflects the concept of small yet significant contributions. In mathematics, the symbol represents a small quantity, drawing a parallel to an individual astronaut's role within the vast scope of spaceflight. Additionally, in astronomy, epsilon denotes the fifth-brightest star in a constellation. The spacecraft lifted off at 10:15 GMT on Friday, February 13, and successfully docked with the station the following day at 20:15 GMT.
The crew is scheduled to support Expeditions 74 and 75 during their stay. The mission timeline includes an undocking from the International Space Station on Wednesday, October 7, at 12:05 GMT. Following this, the SpaceX Dragon is set to splash down in the ocean on Thursday, October 8, at 15:34 GMT. The total duration of the spaceflight is calculated to be 237 days, 5 hours, and 18 minutes.
On February 13, 2026, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot launched from Florida, USA, for her inaugural flight to the International Space Station. The mission, designated as epsilon, was carried out on a SpaceX Dragon vehicle as part of the Crew-12 expedition. Adenot joined NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, forming a crew of four for this journey.
The name epsilon reflects the concept of small yet significant contributions. In mathematics, the symbol represents a small quantity, drawing a parallel to an individual astronaut's role within the vast scope of spaceflight. Additionally, in astronomy, epsilon denotes the fifth-brightest star in a constellation. The spacecraft lifted off at 10:15 GMT on Friday, February 13, and successfully docked with the station the following day at 20:15 GMT.
The crew is scheduled to support Expeditions 74 and 75 during their stay. The mission timeline includes an undocking from the International Space Station on Wednesday, October 7, at 12:05 GMT. Following this, the SpaceX Dragon is set to splash down in the ocean on Thursday, October 8, at 15:34 GMT. The total duration of the spaceflight is calculated to be 237 days, 5 hours, and 18 minutes.
Sources: ESA Space News.