John McFall (centre right) could become the first astronaut with a disability in space after being cleared for a future mission aboard the ISS. (Photo credit: ESA/Novespace)
A former British Paralympian has been cleared to take part in an upcoming mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which will make him the first person with a physical disability to travel into space.
John McFall, 43, an orthopaedic surgeon and Paralympic medallist, has represented Great Britain in numerous sporting events. He had his right leg amputated above the knee at the age of 19 following a motorbike accident. McFall joined the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2022 as part of the agency’s Fly! programme to explore the possibility of a human crew with a prosthetic limb travelling to the International Space Station.
On Friday (14 February), ESA announced in an online press briefing that McFall had passed the required medical tests to take part in a long-term mission to the ISS and was now on the waiting list to fly to the space station.
McFall said he was “extremely proud” to be allowed to participate in the upcoming mission to the ISS. “This is much bigger than me — it’s a cultural shift,” he added during the briefing.
McFall has been granted a long-term stay on the ISS, but is not yet scheduled to participate in future missions.
McFaul is currently fully qualified to serve as an astronaut, but the specific details of his mission have not yet been determined.
“He is now an astronaut, like everyone else who wants to fly to the space station and is waiting to be assigned to a mission,” ESA's Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander said during a briefing.
However, ESA has previously stated its intention to send a person with disabilities to the ISS before the station is decommissioned, which is planned for some time after 2030.
“It’s all looking very promising at the moment,” McFall told BBC Sky magazine’s At Night in 2024. “I think [it could happen] within the next few years.”
“Cultural Shift”
McFall is now in line to become the first para-astronaut, but has previously spoken out against adding the “para” prefix to his name.
“I'm not a parasurgeon, I'm a surgeon. I'm not a paradad, I'm a dad,” McFall told The
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