A Paralympian is preparing to become the first disabled astronaut to launch into orbit – less than 20 years after he won a sprinting medal for Team GB.
John McFall, 45, could be sent to the Haven-1 space station as part of an agreement between the UK Space Agency and Vast, an American space firm.
Haven-1 is set to become the first commercially funded laboratory in orbit and is due to launch as early as spring next year.
John, an NHS surgeon, had his right leg amputated following a motorcycle accident in Thailand in 2000 at the age of 19.
He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, before retiring to take up his medical studies at Cardiff University.
In 2022, he was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for its ground-breaking Fly! Project, which is pioneering the inclusion of astronauts with physical disabilities.
Mr McFall said: ‘Signing this agreement with Vast is incredibly exciting.
‘If we can make this mission happen, it won’t just be a milestone for human spaceflight, it will send a powerful message about what people with disabilities are capable of, and that there should be no limit to what you can achieve – on Earth or in space.’
Mr McFall would be the first Briton to go to space in more than ten years, since Tim Peake’s Principia mission in 2015/16.
Paralympian John McFall is preparing to become the first disabled astronaut to launch into orbit – less than 20 years after he won a sprinting medal for Team GB
The 45-year-old could be sent to the Haven-1 space station as part of an agreement between the UK Space Agency and Vast, an American space firm
Mr McFall ended his incredible sporting career on a high when he took home the bronze medal for the 100m at the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said: ‘John McFall’s story is one of extraordinary determination — as a Paralympian, a surgeon, and a pioneering astronaut.
‘This agreement with Vast brings us one step closer to making history, and to showing the world that space is for everyone.’
‘The UK is committed to being at the forefront of inclusive human spaceflight.
‘This builds on the ground-breaking work John has already done and opens the door to a genuine flight opportunity. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.’
Tim Peake, the first UK astronaut to take part in a mission to the International Space Station, added: ‘John McFall is an inspiration – not just to the space community, but to everyone who has ever been told there are limits to what they can achieve.
‘This agreement is a landmark moment for inclusive human spaceflight, and I hope it brings us one step closer to seeing John in space.
‘Space has always pushed the boundaries of what’s possible, and John’s mission would do exactly that.’
Mr McFall was initially selected to join the European Space Agency out of 257 applicants with a physical disability.
As a teenager, he had dreamed of joining the army before he had his motorcycle accident.
The following year, he began his studies towards a degree in Exercise Science at Swansea University, and that’s when he re-taught himself how to run.
He was later introduced to carbon-fibre running ‘blades’, and he cried when he used one for the first time as it allowed him to ‘remember what running felt like’.
After graduating in 2004, the Frimley-born man became a professional athlete, representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the international stage.
He won gold in the 100m and 200m at the IWAS World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in 2007, and also became Paralympic World Cup Champion in the 200m.
Mr McFall ended his incredible sporting career on a high when he took home the bronze medal for the 100m at the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, achieving a time of 13.08 seconds.
After that, he decided he needed to get a ‘proper job’ and enrolled in the Cardiff University School of Medicine at the age of 28.
In 2012, alongside his medical studies, he became a mentor for future Paralympians as part of the Paralympic Inspiration Programme, and was an ambassador for the London Paralympic Games.
After graduating two years later, he worked as a foundation doctor in the NHS in a range of medical and surgical specialties in South East Wales.
He became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2016 and is currently a Trauma and Orthopaedic Specialist Registrar working in the south of England.
Mr McFall said he saw that the European Space Agency were looking for a disabled candidate and he ‘felt compelled’ to apply.
