Space is for everyone
For over 60 years, hundreds of astronauts have been travelling to space, doing amazing things like walking on the Moon and living on the International Space Station (ISS). Now it’s the era in which more people with different skills are shooting off into space! ESA is working hard to make space a place where more people can join in.
In 2022, John McFall became the first member of the astronaut reserve with a physical disability. He is at the heart of the ‘Fly!’ initiative which aims to send the first astronaut with a physical disability on a long-duration mission to the ISS as a fully integrated crew member. John’s unique background as both an athlete and a surgeon makes him an invaluable contributor to this ground-breaking mission. Reflecting on his role, John says, “My skills as part of the Fly! team allow us to explore potential barriers and develop solutions to make human spaceflight more inclusive.”
Space missions are very hard for all astronauts. As ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti said, "We did not evolve to go to space, so when it comes to space travel, we are all disabled." In other words, all astronauts need technology to live in space —whether they have a physical disability or not.
However, it is worth the while to make sure we have considered it all. The Fly! initiative is trying to find out what problems astronauts with a physical disability might face and how they can solve them.
So far the feasibility study, which will end in 2024, has not found any problems that they can’t solve for getting an astronaut like John to the ISS. How awesome is that?!
This is just one of the first studies that is opening the door to spaceflight for scientists and engineers with disabilities. It could also help people on Earth too, as technology made for space often leads to inventions we use in our daily lives.
John hopes this study will “inspire and reach as many people as he can, to give them the confidence to make decisions that interest them and encourage them to ask what they want to do in life”. And he’s already asking the next big question: “What’s beyond someone with a disability going to space?”.
Not even the sky is the limit!
Last modified 04 December 2024