Sophie Adenot, the astronaut who gives girls ideas

Constantly seeing the same male astronauts in white coats leads some teenage girls to believe that science is "not for them." Sophie Adenot, a French astronaut selected by the European Space Agency for the 2022 class, is challenging this long-held belief. A test pilot, engineer, and former military officer, she embodies skills still rarely seen in women in the aeronautics and space sectors. Her image speaks for itself, and she knows it.

For months, the young astronaut has been involved in numerous experiments, presentations, and outreach activities aimed at young audiences. Her public appearances are widely followed, driven by a simple idea behind her helmet and spacesuit: to provide role models for teenage girls who are hesitant to pursue careers in science and technology. On Wednesday, April 29, she is also scheduled to speak live from the International Space Station on France 2's 20 p.m. news program, a major newscast where every word counts, especially when it reaches a family living room.

An icon is not enough, but it opens a door.

An icon is not enough, but it opens a door.

The effect is already evident in real-life stories. Jeanne, a 13-year-old middle school student from Val-d'Oise, reads books on astrophysics and cites Sophie Adenot as a role model: she says she became interested in science after Thomas Pesquet, and then allowed herself to imagine her own place in it thanks to the arrival of a female astronaut. This detail is significant, because at this age, identification often transforms curiosity into ambition. Choosing a field of study isn't like choosing a color; it's also choosing a self-image.

Because the figures remain stubborn. At the start of the 2025 academic year, girls represented only 14,2% of students in engineering sciences and 15% in computer science and digital technology at the high school level, according to data from the Ministry of National Education, while they made up 41,8% in mathematics and 47,5% in physics and chemistry. Once they graduate from high school, the gap widens even further: women constitute only 29,8% of students in engineering programs, according to the Ministry of Higher Education. Meanwhile, the government points out that there is a shortage of more than 20,000 engineers and 60,000 technicians in France each year, which led to the launch in the spring of 2025 of a "Maths and Girls" plan.

The crux of the matter remains: a heroine, however well-chosen, cannot replace better-informed guidance, teachers trained to identify self-censorship, and families reassured about career prospects. Sophie Adenot, for her part, does her part with formidable effectiveness: she makes visible what seemed distant, almost forbidden. And while a voice from the ISS can spark vocations, the real story will unfold on Earth, in classrooms, guidance counseling sessions, and everyday choices, where paths are quietly forged.