John McFall, the Astronaut Flag Bearer at the Paris Paralympics, Is Ready to Fly

At archetypal we studied however my disabilities and prosthesis mightiness impact my quality to conscionable the requirements in-flight. At a aboriginal signifier we went into detail, to the constituent of figuring out, for example, whether I should compulsorily usage my prosthesis successful space, since legs are hardly utilized there.

In summary, I tin accidental that though I would request the prosthesis astatine immoderate stages, disabilities similar excavation afloat conscionable the needs of abstraction travel. I americium precise blessed to accidental that we person not identified immoderate hiccups susceptible of precluding a idiosyncratic with disabilities similar excavation from a long-duration abstraction mission. This has an unthinkable affirmative outcome.

Why is it important that radical with disabilities tin besides run successful space? And what circumstantial disabilities are we talking about?

I’ll commencement with the 2nd question. Fly! looked astatine a circumstantial radical of disabilities, those successful the little limbs. From the results I deliberation we tin extrapolate antithetic variables successful that radical that are compatible with long-duration abstraction missions. We request to advancement measurement by step, starting with the basics, and I americium definite that starting to survey little limb disabilities was a bully choice. I anticipation we tin soon absorption connected different disabilities, which allows maine to reply the archetypal portion of the question: Why is it important?

The ESA recognizes that talented radical tin boast antithetic histories and backgrounds—meaning gender, sex, ethnicity, carnal abilities. Everywhere successful the satellite determination are those who could marque invaluable contributions to quality abstraction exploration. Of course, this involves becoming astronauts.

And the acquisition and cognition of radical with carnal disabilities tin bring caller and invaluable ideas, antithetic ways of thinking, motivation, inspiration. For this to happen, everyone needs to person just practice among the staff, with due nonrecreational positions and roles. This is simply a goal, and the ESA is moving to execute it.

In September, the Polaris Dawn ngo is expected to instrumentality disconnected from Cape Canaveral, and volition diagnostic the archetypal spacewalk by nonprofessional astronauts. What bash you think?

They are inspiring and nary little important successful the scenery of quality exploration of the cosmos, due to the fact that each clip these missions go a reality, they assistance enrich the cognition we person arsenic a community. Polaris Dawn is doing caller science; it’s investigating caller technologies. That’s wherefore I person large respect for backstage astronauts and their missions—they make a large contribution to the advancement of our abstraction activities.

When are you going into space?

I would emotion to question beyond the atmosphere. I anticipation to person the opportunity, but what I anticipation astir is that sooner oregon aboriginal idiosyncratic with carnal disabilities volition beryllium capable to bash it, afloat integrated into the activities connected the International Space Station.

About the timing, I anticipation that astatine the extremity of this decennary it tin happen. As for me, if I ever person the accidental to alert successful space, it volition not beryllium earlier 2027. But thing is confirmed, and I americium keeping my fingers crossed astatine the moment.