BRUSSELS, Feb. 15 -- The first-ever astronaut with a physical disability has been cleared for a mission onboard the International Space Station, the European Space Agency announced yesterday.
John McFall, a 43-year-old British surgeon and former Paralympian who lost a leg in a motorbike accident when he was 19, said he was "hugely proud" of clearing the hurdle.
Since announcing McFall as a member of its astronaut reserve in 2022, the European Space Agency (ESA) has been assessing the feasibility of someone with a prosthesis becoming a crew member on a space mission.
On Friday, the ESA announced that McFall had received medical clearance for a long-duration mission onboard the International Space Station (ISS).
McFall emphasised that he ...