John McFall, the British former Paralympian, has made history after being granted medical clearance to become the first disabled “para-astronaut” to go to outer space. The sprinter from Cardiff, 43, who won a 100m bronze for Britain at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics before going on to become a surgeon, has hailed the decision as a huge “culture shift” and said he was “hugely proud”.McFall’s lower right leg was amputated above the knee after a motorcycle accident when he was 19. He is yet to be assigned to a specific mission, but getting clearance from all the relevant space agencies paves the way for him to partake in a flight to the International Space Station• From bike smash to Paralympian to surgeon to … spacemanHe was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2022 and has spent the years since working with experts to determine if there are any medical barriers which would prevent someone with a prosthetic lower leg from journeying to space. AdvertisementMedics have also investigated how spending a prolonged period in orbit on a science mission may affect him.McFall raced for Britain at the 2008 Beijing ParalympicsGETTY IMAGESDaniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of human and robotic exploration, said history had been made in giving McFall the highest medical clearance. “John is today certified as an astronaut who can fly on a long-duration mission on the International Space Station,” he said. He called the decision “an incredible step forward in our ambition to broaden the access of society to space”.• Let’s not patronise Paralympians, nor be too seriousMcFall said: “I just have to be medically healthy and demonstrate that I can do the required tasks. This is way bigger than that because this is a cultural shift. This is something that has not been done before.Advertisement“The reception has been very warm and positive from the international partners because of the detailed, methodical, exhaustive work we’ve done here with the feasibility study.”He said the study had been so thorough and the conclusions so convincing that space agencies had only been able to respond, “Well yeah, why not?” to the prospect of sending him into space.McFall lost his lower right leg after a motorcycle accident when he was 19AFPThe study examined 80 challenges that a disabled astronaut might face, including examining the effect that a space launch could have on McFall’s leg.When he met The Times in the Netherlands during his training in 2023, he said: “To be the first person with a disability to walk on the moon, that would be phenomenal.”ESA’s study, “Fly! Feasibility”, concluded that an astronaut with McFall’s disability “could safely train, participate in, and return from long-duration missions to the ISS as a fully integrated crew member”.AdvertisementThe next phase will be entitled “mission ready”, looking at what scientific work McFall could do on the station and what design tweaks would need to be made to his prosthetic leg.

British Paralympian cleared to become first disabled astronaut

Medics have also investigated how spending a prolonged period in orbit on a science mission may affect him.“The reception has been very warm and positive from the international partners because of the detailed, methodical, exhaustive work we’ve done here with the feasibility study.”ESA’s study, “Fly! Feasibility”, concluded that an astronaut with McFall’s disability “could safely […]

Medics have also investigated how spending a prolonged period in orbit on a science mission may affect him.“The reception has been very warm and positive from the international partners because of the detailed, methodical, exhaustive work we’ve done here with the feasibility study.”ESA’s study, “Fly! Feasibility”, concluded that an astronaut with McFall’s disability “could safely train, participate in, and return from long-duration missions to the ISS as a fully integrated crew member”.John McFall, the British former Paralympian, has made history after being granted medical clearance to become the first disabled “para-astronaut” to go to outer space. • From bike smash to Paralympian to surgeon to … spaceman

Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of human and robotic exploration, said history had been made in giving McFall the highest medical clearance.

Two Paralympic athletes racing in the 100m final.

• Let’s not patronise Paralympians, nor be too seriousAFP

“John is today certified as an astronaut who can fly on a long-duration mission on the International Space Station,” he said. He called the decision “an incredible step forward in our ambition to broaden the access of society to space”.McFall lost his lower right leg after a motorcycle accident when he was 19McFall’s lower right leg was amputated above the knee after a motorcycle accident when he was 19. He is yet to be assigned to a specific mission, but getting clearance from all the relevant space agencies paves the way for him to partake in a flight to the International Space StationHe was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2022 and has spent the years since working with experts to determine if there are any medical barriers which would prevent someone with a prosthetic lower leg from journeying to space.

When he met The Times in the Netherlands during his training in 2023, he said: “To be the first person with a disability to walk on the moon, that would be phenomenal.”The next phase will be entitled “mission ready”, looking at what scientific work McFall could do on the station and what design tweaks would need to be made to his prosthetic leg.

John McFall, the first astronaut recruit with a physical disability, at an ESA ceremony.

The study examined 80 challenges that a disabled astronaut might face, including examining the effect that a space launch could have on McFall’s leg.McFall raced for Britain at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics

The sprinter from Cardiff, 43, who won a 100m bronze for Britain at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics before going on to become a surgeon, has hailed the decision as a huge “culture shift” and said he was “hugely proud”.McFall said: “I just have to be medically healthy and demonstrate that I can do the required tasks. This is way bigger than that because this is a cultural shift. This is something that has not been done before.GETTY IMAGES

He said the study had been so thorough and the conclusions so convincing that space agencies had only been able to respond, “Well yeah, why not?” to the prospect of sending him into space.

British Paralympian cleared to become first disabled astronaut

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