The European Space Agency has cleared John McFall, a former Paralympian and surgeon who lost his leg in a motorbike accident, to become the first person with a physical disability to take part in a mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
In 2022, McFall was selected for ESA’s Fly! Feasibility study, which aimed to explore the challenges of sending an astronaut with a disability to the ISS. The study concluded that it is technically feasible to fly someone with a physical disability on a six-month mission.
McFall said he’s thrilled that his disability has been deemed suitable for space travel and that the next phase, Mission Ready, will focus on hardware certification, scientific research, and medical certification.
The ESA astronaut reserve training program will help McFall prepare for potential future missions. He’ll join UK astronaut Meganne Christian at the European Astronaut Centre in Germany and US-based NASA astronaut Rosemary Coogan, who graduated from basic training last April.
McFall hopes that his spaceflight experience will inspire scientists to study how technology developed for space can benefit people on Earth.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-astronaut-with-a-disability-cleared-for-space-station-mission