N° 7–2025: Media invitation: Press briefing on 'Fly!' feasibility study with John McFall

Media will be updated on the completion and the success of ESA’s Fly! Feasibility Study.

Announced in November 2022 during the Ministerial Council held in Paris, France, this unique and groundbreaking study is aimed at understanding and challenging the limitations posed by physical disabilities to human spaceflight.

Concluded in late 2024, the Fly! Feasibility Study successfully demonstrated it is technically feasible to fly someone with a physical disability, like John’s, on a six-month mission to the International Space Station as a fully integrated crew member. It underpinned the desire to ensure that space exploration is not limited by physical constraints and that every individual can contribute to our collective understanding of the cosmos and of the benefits of spaceflight for life on Earth.

What’s next?

The end of the feasibility study marks the start of the next phase: Fly! Mission Ready . This is an essential step to carry out the first long-term mission for an astronaut with a physical disability. 

Join the press briefing on site at EAC or online to find out more.

Programme

Friday 14 February, 10:00 – 11:00 CET

Participants:

Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration

John McFall, Member of the ESA Astronaut Reserve & Fly! Subject Matter Expert

Jerome Reineix, Fly! Study Manager

Alessandro Alcibiade, Fly! Flight Surgeon

Media registration

Media representatives are invited to register their attendance by Friday, 7 February, 18:00 CET on-site presence at EAC or to receive links for virtual attendance via https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form/ .

One-to-one interviews should be requested via media@esa.int 

Press briefing on 'Fly!' feasibility study will also be streamed via esawebtv.esa.int on 14 February 2025 from 10:00 CET. 

More information

Fly! website

John McFall Biography

Astro Chat with John McFall

Daniel Neuenschwander Biography

Images

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=john+mcfall&result_type=images

ESA's Photo Library for Professionals:
https://photolibrary.esa.int/collection/?sid=lbvdj14m1

Terms and conditions for using ESA images:
www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images

For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int.

Videos

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=john+mcfall&result_type=videos

ESA's Video Library for Professionals:
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals

Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:
https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions

For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int.

Social Media 

Follow ESA on: 
Twitter: @ESA @AstroJohnMcFall @iamfivetoes
Instagram: Europeanspaceagency John McFall
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency John McFall
YouTube: ESA 
LinkedIn: European Space Agency - ESA Daniel Neuenschwander | LinkedIn
Pinterest: European Space Agency - ESA 

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with other four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int