French astronaut Sophie Adenot said seeing Earth from space made her realise that humanity shares one precious planet, with no divisions or borders, as she returned to solid ground in Germany on Saturday after 235 days in orbit.

The 44-year-old astronaut splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Thursday aboard a Dragon capsule carrying the Crew-12 team, returning from a mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), according to AFP.

Her 235-day stay in space set a record for the longest uninterrupted orbital mission by a European astronaut.

Speaking at the European Space Agency’s training centre in Cologne, Adenot said she had experienced “all human emotions, from the most joyful to the hardest” during her eight months away from Earth.

From around 400km above the planet, she said, she could see “no divisions, no borders” but “just a precious planet that we all share”.

Adenot appeared physically weakened on arrival in Germany and was assisted by two ESA physicians. After spending months in microgravity, she must undergo an intensive recovery programme lasting around three weeks to regain her pre-flight condition.

Extended exposure to microgravity can cause bone loss, muscle wasting, cardiovascular changes and vision problems as the body adapts to the absence of gravity.

“It’s great to be back on Earth, but it also comes with its share of challenges, especially physiological ones,” she said, describing the experience as a mix of astonishing emotions.

She also recalled the difficult return journey, saying the capsule endured around 25 minutes of rough waves during Thursday’s splashdown.

“When the commandos pulled me out of the capsule, the first thing I said to them was, ‘Send me back to space, please!’ It was much easier up there,” she said.

During her mission, Adenot became the first French woman astronaut to conduct a spacewalk outside the ISS. She completed three spacewalks on August 18 and 25 and September 1.