On February 14, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that for the first time in history, an astronaut with a disability has been granted permission to participate in a long-term mission on the International Space Station (ISS).
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| Former Paralympian John McFall is allowed to carry out a mission on the International Space Station ISS. (Source: Mathrubhumi English) |
This particular astronaut is John McFall - a 43-year-old British surgeon and former Paralympic athlete. McFall lost a leg in a motorbike accident when he was 19. However, that did not stop him from achieving his dream of flying into space.
After ESA declared McFall a reserve member of the astronaut corps in 2022, he went through several steps of assessment to be fit for a space mission.
Finally, on February 14, ESA officially announced that McFall had received medical clearance for an extended mission on the ISS.
McFall said that during this process, he mainly met health requirements and completed tests. Speaking at an online press conference, he said: "This is very important to me, this is like a cultural shift."
There is currently no specific date for McFall's first mission. According to the ESA, he will be "just another astronaut, waiting for his assignment."
The ESA announcement comes as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs are facing challenges from the new US administration under President Donald Trump.
However, ESA director of space exploration Daniel Neuenschwander stressed that Europe will continue to maintain equal values, and expressed that Washington and other partners on the ISS have medically approved McFall.
The next phase of the feasibility study will focus on developing equipment, including components that will help McFall overcome potential challenges in a zero-gravity environment.
McFall believes that these technologies will not only help him adapt to life in space, but also bring long-term benefits to other prosthetic users in society.
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