Astronaut With Disability Cleared To Go To Space Station

For the first time, an astronaut with disabilities has been authorized for a mission to the International Space Station.

The European Space Agency said this month that John McFall has received medical authorization to serve as a crew member fully integrated into a six -month mission to the space station.

McFall, a British surgeon and former Paralympic sprinter, amputated his right leg after a motorcycle accident at age 19. It was selected in 2022 as a member of the Astronaut Reserve of the European Space Agency to participate in a study that evaluates the viability of the space flight for the space flight astronauts with physical disabilities.

«I feel greatly proud,» McFall said at a press conference. “This is not about me. This is much bigger than that because this is a cultural change. This is something that has not been done before. «

At this point, there is no plan for when McFall could go to space.

«Now, he is an astronaut like everyone else who wants to fly to the space station waiting for a mission task,» said Daniel Neuenschwander, director of human and robotic exploration of the European Space Agency.

Meanwhile, space agency officials said they continue to examine the prostheses and other factors that could affect McFall in space. McFall said that, as part of this work, they have already developed some technologies that «drip and have benefits» for prosthetic users in a broader way.