By Abaire Olanlesi
The European Space Agency (ESA), has approved John McFall, a British surgeon and former Paralympian, for a future mission to the International Space Station (ISS), making him the first astronaut with a physical disability.
McFall, who lost a leg in a motorbike accident at 19, has undergone rigorous assessments since joining ESA’s astronaut reserve in 2022.
On Friday, ESA confirmed his medical clearance for a long-duration mission.
While no launch date has been set, ESA is now working on adapting space hardware for McFall’s prosthesis, a step he believes will advance prosthetic technology worldwide.
