16.11.2025
During her mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2026, French astronaut Sophie Adenot will be tasked with testing a European intravehicular activity (IVA) spacesuit.
In late 2023, the French space agency CNES contracted Spartan Space, the Institute of Space Medicine and Physiology (MEDES), and the sporting goods retailer Decathlon to conduct an initial study for a European intravehicular activity (IVA) spacesuit. Following the successful completion of this phase of the project, CNES awarded the trio a second contract in late 2024 to develop a prototype that could be tested aboard the ISS.
In May 2024, ESA announced that Sophie Adenot and Raphaël Liégeois were the first members of its newest astronaut class to be assigned long-duration missions to the ISS. In July 2025, CNES announced the scientific and technological experiments that will accompany Adenot during her long-duration mission, including EuroSuit, the IVA spacesuit prototype developed within the CNES-led effort.
On 14 November, Decathlon CEO Javier López Segovia published the first images of the suit, a project he described as “bringing together the world of space exploration, science, medicine and sport.”
During testing aboard the orbiting laboratory, the ergonomics of the suit will be evaluated, with a particular focus on how easily it can be put on and taken off. According to the Decathlon CEO, the suit is designed to be donned or removed in under two minutes.
While the project’s short-term focus is on the suit’s ergonomics, CNES has linked the project to a broader goal of preparing Europe for “sovereignty in human space exploration.” Europe is not currently pursuing the development of its own crew transportation capability. However, as part of its LEO Cargo Return Services initiative, the European Space Agency has instructed participants to design cargo capsules that “compatible with the evolution towards a crew transportation.” This element of the initiative is likely to be a topic of discussion during ESA’s Ministerial Council meeting later this month, where Member States will be asked to approve funding for Phase 2 activities.