A gold medal-winning British Paralympian has been medically cleared to go to the International Space Station and is poised to become the first disabled astronaut. John McFall lost a leg in a motorcycle accident at 19 and went on to win multiple paralympic medals in track for Great Britain. He followed up with a Master's in biomechanics and later became an orthopedic surgeon.
The European Space Agency called for disabled astronauts in 2021, and McFall was selected from among 200 other applicants. The ESA then conducted a feasibility study called "Fly!" that tested McFall's ability to meet all requirements from launch to landing and required activities on the ISS, like performing CPR.
McFall told the BBC during the study that he may need multiple prostheses on the space station — a blade for running, adjusted for the lower gravity, and a purely mechanical prosthesis for takeoff and landing. He would also bring a backup for his everyday prosthetic which runs on a microprocessor that would also require adjustment for use in space.
Despite his potential groundbreaking status as a disabled astronaut, McFall rejects the title "parastronaut. " Instead, he focuses on challenging perceptions of what disability looks like in the 21st century and the opportunities that are now available.
Previously: Breathtaking video of Aurora Borealis from the International Space Station
