The European Space Agency said on Friday that the first-ever astronaut with a physical impairment has been approved for a mission aboard the International Space Station.
A 43-year-old British surgeon and former Paralympian named John McFall, who lost a leg in a motorbike accident when he was 19, expressed his pride in overcoming the obstacle.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has been considering whether it is feasible for someone with a prosthesis to be a crew member on a space mission since announcing McFall as a member of its astronaut reserve in 2022.
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“Cultural shift”
McFall’s medical clearance for a long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was given by the ESA on Friday.
McFall made it clear that he was “relatively passive” during the process and only needed to be in good health and do the necessary duties.
“This is way bigger than me — this is a cultural shift,” he told an online press conference.
The ESA has not yet announced a date for McFall’s opportunity to become the first “parastronaut.”