Paralympian John McFall could become 1st astronaut with a disability on ISS

[Admin]

European Space Agency astronaut John McFall is cleared to be the first person with a physical disability to fly to the space station.

Paralympian John McFall could become 1st astronaut with a disability on ISS : Read more

 

[baozuci]

There's so few spots available for able-bodied astronauts and you have to send one missing a limb? What happens if there's an emergency? Pray and cross your fingers that the disabled astronaut comes through? If ever there were doubters on the existence of the ISS, this alone would send them over the fence to the unbelievers side.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

First, the "disability" of this person is somewhat mislabeled. He has lost a part of one leg, but that has been replaced with a mechanical device, and, frankly, he is more "abled" than a lot of us, being a successful "para-Olympian". I have friends that have lost parts of limbs to diabetes. and now have prosthetic parts - they are doing normal things in normal ways. However, in their cases, it is the diabetes that would be the questionable issue in space flight, particularly the biological effects of zero gravity on the body. McFall does not have that issue.

So, the next question is why would NASA/EASA exclude otherwise qualified astronaut candidates simply because they have had to have a lower leg replaced with a prosthesis? Well, maybe there are other issues? It is best to not just assume that there are no other issues. So, this program is basically at test to see if there are other issues - with either the person or the prosthesis. If not, it just removes an exclusionary criteria for selecting future astronauts.

So, don't confuse this program with some virtue signaling effort to "include everybody" no matter how unqualified. It is looking at the situation realistically. Having once intended to try for the astronaut core myself, but being "unfit" due to a heart valve issue, I do recognize that there are some conditions where ability to perform or even survive, is a realistic concern, and I accept that as fact. But, there is no reason to assume that applies to everything that we label as a "disability".

On the other hand, I do recognize that the popular media will conflate Mc Falls "disability" with the "include everybody in everything" political agenda, and that will get negative responses from some who do not look at the actual situation of this real case.