John McFall is a surgeon and a world-class sprinter. His CV could hardly get any more impressive — until now. McFall, who lost one of his legs in an accident, has been cleared for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), making him the first “parastronaut” in history.

Upon hearing the news, McFall expressed his pride and hope that this milestone would challenge preconceptions about what people with disabilities can achieve.

A historic landmark

At a time when diversity and disability rights face increasing challenges, the European Space Agency (ESA) is pushing forward with efforts to determine whether individuals with prosthetics can serve as crew members on space missions.

The medical examinations for McFall’s mission took about a month. During the rigorous process, McFall, a father of three, had to demonstrate that he could perform all the required tasks — which he did with flying colors.

Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of human and robotic exploration, confirmed that McFall is now fit to fly.

“John is today certified as an astronaut who can fly on a long-duration mission on the International Space Station, and I think this is an incredible step ahead in our ambition to broaden the access to society to space,” Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of human and robotic exploration, said at a briefing to announce the certification. “Now he’s an astronaut like everybody else who wants to fly to the space station, waiting for a mission assignment.”

Neuenschwander added that it was surprising to him to see just how well McFall performed and that he was expecting the disability to be more of a problem. Previously, McFall went through the space agency’s grueling selection process, gradually advancing through the six stages that ranged from hours-long psychomotor tests to panel interviews.

“Let’s not underestimate all elements linked to safety procedures when you operate on the International Space Station,” said Neuenschwander. “In all honesty, I was personally expecting some eventual showstoppers there, and I’m really happy to see that we went through that and it’s behind us.”

Opening up space for society

McFall’s selection is part of ESA’s Fly! project, launched in 2022. The project aims to make long-duration space missions accessible to people with a range of physical abilities. It focuses on overcoming challenges related to being in space and on integrating assistive technologies into space travel.

“Fly! aims to make long-duration space missions accessible for those with a range of physical abilities by tackling challenges such as microgravity adaptation, physical fitness and rehabilitation and technology integration. John McFall, a former Paralympic athlete and orthopaedic surgeon, provides crucial insights as a Subject Matter Expert. Concluding in late 2024, Fly! is set to advance inclusivity in space exploration by overcoming barriers and integrating diverse perspectives,” ESA wrote describing the project.

According to ESA, McFall — who was a bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and is an orthopaedic surgeon — plays an important role in the program.

“This isn’t about me, this is way bigger than that,” said McFall, whose right leg was amputated above the knee after a motorcycle accident at the age of 19. “This is a cultural shift … I’m proud for me, but I’m proud of the mindset shift that this has achieved.”

It’s not clear when McFall will fly towards the ISS. Just like every other astronaut, he is now waiting for a mission assignment.

I think it should give people faith that’s it is possible to change things and people are listening and with the right support, and the right work, it is possible to change mindsets. And whilst this just happens to be in the space industry, it doesn’t mean that it’s not possible in many, many other sectors.”

ESA’s commitment to inclusion stands in stark contrast to recent moves in the United States, where former President Donald Trump has ordered a crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. NASA, for instance, was directed to remove all references to DEI, including terms like “accessibility” or any language aimed at promoting diversity. Meanwhile, ESA continues to emphasize inclusivity, selecting two women among five career astronauts in its 2022 intake.