Paris: The European Space Agency announced Friday that the first-ever disability astronaut has been cleared for a mission mounted on the International Space Station.
John McFall, a 43-year-old British surgeon and former Paralympian, lost his leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19, said he was “very proud” to clear the hurdles.
Essa has evaluated the possibility that someone with a prosthetic could become a crew member on a space mission since unveiling McFall in 2022. On Friday, the ESA said McFall received medical permits for a long-term mission mounted on the ISS.
McFall emphasized that he must be “relatively passive” in the process, be medically healthy and perform the necessary tasks. “This is much bigger than I do — this is a cultural change,” he said.
There is no day yet to be the chance for McFall to become what ESA called the first “Parastronaut.”
“Now he’s an astronaut like everyone else who flies to the space station and waits for mission assignments,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, director of ESA’s Human Exploration. I said that.
The ESA announcement comes as the DEI initiative was attacked by US President Trump. “We’re entering a world that’s been changing a little from Day’s perspective,” Neuenschwander said. “We will continue to have European values,” he emphasized, adding that all ISS partners, including the US, have given McFall medical permits.
