When the press asked him, this Monday, at the Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) space center, about how his journey could inspire little girls, Sophie Adenot thanked him for asking the question. On February 15, 2026, 43-year-old Nivernaise will join a fairly exclusive club, namely the club of women who have been to space.
To date, 83 planes have flown, if we exclude space tourism missions with Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic where the candidates briefly approached the limits of the atmosphere. Men, for their part, number more than 560 who have worn the suit. A perhaps surprising contrast: of all astronauts, only 12% are women.
