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A former U.K. Paralympian has been given the greenish spark to undertake a future mission to theInternational Space Station(ISS ) , which would make him the first individual with a forcible impairment to travel to space .
John McFall , 43 , is an orthopedic operating surgeon and former medal - gain Paralympic sprinter who has represented Great Britain at multiple competitions . He had his right leg amputate above the articulatio genus when he was 19 years old after a motorcycling accident . McFall fall in theEuropean Space Agency(ESA ) in 2022 as part of the office ’s " Fly ! " program to assess the feasibleness of someone with a prosthesis becoming an ISS crew member .
John McFall (center right) could become the first physically disabled astronaut in space after being cleared for a future mission on board the ISS.
On Friday ( Feb. 14 ) , ESA announced in anonline sensitive briefingthat McFall has pass the aesculapian tests needed to tackle a long - terminal figure ISS mission and is now on the wait tilt to move to the space post .
McFall pronounce that he was " hugely proud " to be clear for a future ISS mission . " This is right smart big than me — this is a cultural transmutation , " he said during the briefing .
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McFall has been cleared for a long-term stay on the ISS but he has not been scheduled on any upcoming missions yet.
McFall is now amply dependent to become an astronaut but is presently not scheduled for a specific mission .
" Now he ’s an spaceman like everybody else who wants to fly to the blank space post , expect for a mission assignment,“Daniel Neuenschwander , the director of human and machinelike exploration at ESA , say during the briefing .
However , ESA has antecedently stated that the representation wants to ship a handicapped mortal to the ISS before the space station is decommission , which is currentlyscheduled to happen at some point after 2030 .
McFall (left) represented Great Britain at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing and won a bronze medal in the 100m (T42 class).
" At this stage , it ’s looking very positive , " McFall told theBBC ’s Sky At Night Magazinein 2024 . " I think [ it could happen ] within the next few years . "
‘A cultural shift’
McFall is now in line to become the first para - astronaut . However , he has previously push back against using the " para " prefix to describe himself .
" I ’m not a Santa Maria de Belem - surgeon , I ’m a surgeon . I ’m not a para - dad , I ’m a dad , " McFall toldThe Guardianin 2024 . " I reckon that if we continue to use [ the ' para ' prefix ] , it plausibly continues to create a watershed , which is n’t necessary . "
The novel promulgation come during a menses of uncertainty border diversity , fairness and inclusion ( DEI ) in distance , following a wave of controversial changes atNASAimposed by the new Trump administration .
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" We are now entering a populace which is change a bit from a DEI position from one of our [ ISS ] partner , " Neuenschwander enunciate during the league .
In the last few workweek , NASA has beenordered to terminate all DEI initiatives , alter web pageboy celebrate distaff scientistsand allegedly told workers topurge workspaces of LGBTQI+ symbols .
However , all ISS partners — including the U.S. — cleared McFall for a future ISS mission , harmonize to Gallic news agencyAFP .
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