Unpublished: Decathlon will test a space suit in the ISS with a French astronaut
The EuroSuit prototype, an intra-vehicular space suit developed jointly by CNES, Spartan Space, MEDES and Decathlon. This model will be tested in 2026 by Sophie Adenot aboard the ISS during the Epsilon mission. © CNES/Spartan Space/MEDES/Décathlon
This foray into the aerospace sector is not a marketing fantasy. Since December 2023, the teams of Decathlon work within a consortium led by CNES, the French space agency. Alongside the Marseille start-up Spartan Space and the MEDES Institute, specializing in space medicine, the company is contributing to the development of the EuroSuit, an intra-vehicular suit intended to protect astronauts during critical phases such as takeoff or landing.
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A bet on French textile expertise
Unlike spacesuits used for spacewalks, this suit is designed to be worn inside ships and the station. The challenge lies in its practicality: it must be able to be put on or taken off quickly in an emergency, while offering sufficient freedom of movement in the confined space of the ISS. It is precisely on these aspects that Decathlon brings its expertise, forged in the design of technical clothing for the mountains, diving or trail running.
With the European ambition to contribute to future space missions with its own crews, France, with its skills and technological know-how, wishes to contribute to this growth by offering in particular an IVA space suit.
The EuroSuit, Europe’s first intra-vehicular space suit, designed for quick donning in less than two minutes. © CNES/Spartan Space/MEDES/Décathlon
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This project is part of a desire for European autonomy in the face of the American and Russian giants who currently dominate this niche market.
The working sessions follow one another at the Decathlon research center in Lille. The prototypes developed aim to integrate lightweight, breathable materials that are compatible with the biomedical sensors that astronauts need. The stated objective: to demonstrate that it is possible to transpose terrestrial know-how to space constraints, without necessarily mobilizing traditional players in the aerospace industry.
Decisive tests in 2026
Sophie Adenot will therefore test this prototype during her Epsilon missionwhich will mark the return of a French astronaut to the ISS after Thomas Pesquet in 2021. She will evaluate the ergonomics of the suit, its handling with gloves, and how quickly she can put it on or take it off. This data will feed into the development of an operational version, notably integrating pressurization systems, communication and display interfaces.
I am delighted that CNES is joining forces with Spartan Space, Decathlon and MEDES to meet this exciting challenge.
Designed in Lille since December 2023, the EuroSuit favors lightness and breathability thanks to Decathlon’s textile expertise. © CNES/Spartan Space/MEDES/Décathlon
If the tests prove conclusive, the consortium is considering several variations: long-term versions, adaptations for lunar environments. The EuroSuit could thus foreshadow a range of European equipment for future manned missions. In the meantime, the presence of the Decathlon logo in orbit will demonstrate a very unique industrial strategy for the French space sector.
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