European Paralympic athlete in a queue to become the first disabled astronaut in space


John McFall, a victorious Paralympic athlete, officially completed training with the European Space Agency and may become the first disabled astronaut's visit to the International Space Station.

Astronauts train like athletes so that they can endure the rigors of space flight, including the strength of launch and re -entry, confusion, muscle atrophy and other negative effects of life in space.

Mcfall, born in Great Britain, made his own honest participation in sports training after losing his right leg in a motorcycle case when he was 19 years old. While wearing a limb prosthesis, he won a long list of medals, including the Bronze Paralympic medal for the 100- Miernik at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. McFall is also an orthopedic surgeon.

Two men run on the track in prosthetic legs.
McFall, on the left, races with Atsushi Yamamoto from Japan during the Paralympic Games in 2008 in Beijing. (Andrew Wong/Getty Images)

He reported to Open call of the European Space Agency (ESA) for astronauts in 2022who for the first time in the history of the human space flight agency allowed people with certain physical disability to cut. Space agency In particular, I wanted to test the feasibility having disabled astronauts and learn more about barriers that exist for them.

WITH 257 applicants McFall has increased to the top with disabilities, transferring each stage of the process and meeting all demanding psychological, cognitive, technical and professional requirements to find a job. He even flew parabolic flights and took missions with the winter sea and survival.

A man with a prosthetic leg is laid on a lying bike, pedaling. Three other men stand and watch.
McFall is involved in an investigation with fluid shift in Envihab, a specialized research facility at the German Air Agency (DLR) Institute of Aerospace Medicine. (European Space Agency/German Air Agency (DLR))

He also underwent special tests, looking at how physiological changes caused by microgravity, such as fluid redistribution and muscle atrophy, can affect how his prosthesis matches space. While astronauts usually do not need their legs in orbit, because they float freely in any direction – and maneuvering on cosmic hands, not feet – ESA decided that he would still need prosthetics for some activities. The research team ultimately did not find any problems with this requirement.

Now he has formally completed the training of astronauts, and during a recent press conference ESA officials have announced that he is now on the waiting list to the place where it is flying to the international space station. This would make him the first disabled person who reached the orbit.

Watch: Fly ESA! Project Media Briefing of February 14, 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXJWC_VXUQC

The situation reminds me of the science fiction novel that captured my imagination when I was a child. Islands in the sky Arthur C. Clarke tells the story of Roy Malcolm, a teenager who wins a trip to a space station. There he meets the commander of Doyle, who conducts surgery. Doyle has worked at the station for 10 years without the desire to return to earth, because he would be in a wheelchair on earth. In space, it can go freely anywhere, and due to the lack of lower limbs it can fit in smaller spaces of other people.

A portrait of a man in a blue overalls.
The official portrait of the astronaut John McFall with the European Space Agency. (A. Conigli/European Space Agency)

And although it was fiction, research was carried out potential benefits incorporating people with disabilities in the astronauts corps. At the end of the 1950s, NASA recruited 11 deaf people – who were known as Gallaudet 11 – To examine their resistance to local disease and help in shaping the future of space flight exploration.

Today, initiatives such as Astroaccess carry out micro -right missions, enabling disabled people to experience the invisibility and conducting experiments on parabolic flights, in order to prove that disabled astronauts have a lot to offer.

McFall is lucky to work on ESA, which is still in favor of diversity among his astronauts. As we heard in recent weeks, NASA was ordered To close the office of diversity, equality and inclusion by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Everyone should be able to imagine the freedom of flying in zero gravity – and the exploration of space is better to have a wide range of perspectives, skills, experiences and skills.



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