British Paralympian John McFall selected as ESA's first differently-abled astronaut
John McFall, a British Paralympian, has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for a special training program and could become the first differently-abled person to go into space. The 41-year-old, who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident, is currently working as a Trauma and Orthopaedic Specialist. He has represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Paralympic Games.
Why does this story matter?
ESA has revealed its new class of career astronauts for 2022. The list includes five people from different Western European countries. On the other hand, McFall will be recruited on a separate "Parastronaut" program. The idea behind his selection is to explore the possibility of sending someone with a physical disability into space.
No "parastronaut" has ever made it to space
McFall was selected for the Parastronaut Feasibility Project in November 2022. "With my broad scientific background and a vast range of experiences, I felt compelled to try and help ESA answer this question: Can we get someone with a physical disability to do meaningful work in space?" he said. According to ESA, no "parastronaut" has ever made it to space before.
McFall represented Britain and Northern Ireland as a Paralympic sprinter
McFall lost his right leg at the age of 19 after an unfortunate motorcycle accident. Later, he trained to become a professional track and field athlete in 2005 and has won several accolades as a Paralympic sprinter. He has a background in sports and exercise science, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree from the Cardiff University School of Medicine.
Meet the new class of career astronauts for 2022
ESA received over 22,550 applications. The list included over 200 people with disabilities and more women participants. Five astronauts, including two women and three men, have been chosen for the new class of career astronauts. They are Pablo Alvarez Fernandez from Spain, Sophie Adenot from France, Marco Sieber from Switzerland, Raphael Liegeois from Belgium, and Rosemary Coogan from Britain.
