For the first time in space exploration history, the European Space Agency (ESA) will allow a disabled man to become an astronaut and orbit the Earth.
British citizen John McFall, who has an amputated leg, has been included in the next set of ESA astronauts at the age of 41. He is the bronze medalist in the 100-meter sprint at the 2008 Paralympic Games in China and now intends to prove that disability is no barrier to achieving many goals.
Until now, people with disabilities have not been allowed to qualify for astronauts, which are understandably some of the toughest competitions.
“Initially, applying for this program was not in my plans because of the required medical screenings,” John said after he was included in the astronaut candidate team.
But in February 2021, in organizing the new enrollment, the agency announced that one or more applicants with a leg disability (due to amputation or congenital malformation) could be trained for spaceflight, provided that the selection requirements are met. However, the intellectual and psychological qualities had to be the same as those of other astronaut candidates. This changed the perspective of the Briton, a physician by training.
“This is the first time a candidate with a disability has been selected. It’s a signal to all of humanity that we can do this,” said John McFall, who lost his leg at age 19 in a motorcycle accident.
ESA said McFall will have to work over the coming months to “improve our understanding of his abilities and overcome the obstacles that spaceflight creates for physically disabled astronauts.”
In space missions requiring extreme precision in everything, even the smallest modifications can be extremely difficult or costly, the agency explains. For example, existing systems now are designed for as-tronauts of certain physical parameters.
“Paraastronaut” is the name the agency has given to its unprecedented project.
