CNN
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Paralympian and current astronaut John McFall could soon be the first disabled person in space – and he believes the Paralympics have helped challenge preconceptions about what disabled people can achieve.
After a motorcycle accident in which his right leg had to be amputated at the age of 19, McFall learned to walk again and became a professional athlete.
The British team sprinter won bronze in the 100m race in class 42 at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing and later began working as a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon.
McFall became the world’s first “parastronaut” in 2022 when the European Space Agency (ESA) announced a new class of astronaut trainees, and took part in ESA’s “Fly!” feasibility study, which examined the challenges a disabled person might face during spaceflight.
The study, he told the science magazine Nature last week, “has so far shown that it is technically feasible for someone with a physical disability like me to fly into space and live and work there during a long mission as a fully integrated member of the ISS crew.”
Part of the study is due to be completed by the end of the year, and McFall hopes that ESA will “get someone with a physical disability to fly,” he added.
“I hope I get the opportunity to fly in the future. That would be great. And I also hope I can lay the foundation for a legacy that will take us further by exploring the feasibility of flying with a wider range of disabilities,” said the 43-year-old.
ESA said in a press release that the study, which included McFall undergoing winter and sea survival training and microgravity flights, represents “a significant milestone on the road to inclusivity in space exploration.”
“To date, Fly! has not identified any obstacles that would prevent an astronaut with a disability like John from participating in a long-duration mission to the International Space Station, which typically lasts six months,” the agency said in a statement.
McFall pointed to the Paralympics as an example of how sport can change society’s perception of people with disabilities.
“Elite athletes inspire so many people. Many people play sports and admire what it means to compete at an elite level,” he explained.
“From a Paralympic perspective, it is extremely important to reach out to a wider audience and make society aware of what people with physical disabilities are capable of.
“I think being an astronaut can probably be considered a difficult, demanding job. So there is a certain admiration to have someone with a physical disability in that position.”
At an ESA press conference last month, McFall added that his career as a Paralympic athlete – along with his traumatic amputation and his scientific and medical background – had contributed to his current goal.
“I think all of this has really helped me bridge the gap between ESA’s ambitions and my background,” he said, “to try to achieve this goal of potentially being the first person with a physical disability to become an astronaut.”
