Investigating fluid shifts in space

John McFall, a former Paralympic athlete and orthopaedic surgeon, was selected as the first member of the European Space Agency's Astronaut Reserve with a physical disability in 2022. This marked a significant milestone in ESA’s Fly! initiative, which aims to enable a professional astronaut with a physical disability to join as a fully integrated crew member on a long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). With John’s selection, ESA entered the Feasibility Study phase of the Fly! initiative to address challenges associated with John’s specific type of disability (lower limb amputation). 

John participates in a tilt-table investigation to explore how body fluid shifts, similar to those experienced during spaceflight, affect the volume of his amputated limb. The test involved tilting his body from a 70° head-up to a -20° head-down position while using 3D modeling cameras to measure volume changes. This research aims to better understand the impact of microgravity on prosthesis fit for astronauts with limb differences.