British Paralympic sprinter and surgeon John McFall is set to become the first physically disabled astronaut to enter the aerospace.
John, an NHS surgeon who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19, was selected by the European Space Agency in 2022 for its ground-breaking Fly! Project, which is pioneering the inclusion of astronauts with physical disabilities in long-duration space missions.
An agreement signed between the UK government and U.S. commercial space company Vast will see the UK Space Agency support Vast to secure sponsorships to fund a space flight for John — who last year became the first person with a physical disability to be medically cleared for a long-duration mission.
John could be sent to Vast's Haven-1 - planned to be the world's first commercial space station scheduled for launch in 2027. John's mission is to conduct pioneering research — spanning human physiology and musculoskeletal adaptation, how prosthetics perform in microgravity, and how people move and balance in space.
The findings could have significant benefits for disabled people on Earth, such as the design of lighter, more adaptable prosthetics on Earth. They could also deepen the understanding of conditions like osteoporosis or muscle wastage that affect many disabled people and provide new insights into rehabilitation techniques for amputees.
The potential mission also builds on ESA's broader efforts to expand access to human spaceflight and to support Europe's role in the transition to a commercially enabled low Earth orbit.
In 2000, when John was 19 years old, his right leg was amputated above the knee following a serious motorcycle accident. He took up running again after being fitted with a prosthesis.
John, who is from Hampshire, competed as a sprinter at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
A member of the European Space Agency's Astronaut Reserve, he would be the first Briton to go to space in more than 10 years.
"Signing this agreement with Vast is incredibly exciting," John said. "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."
UK 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."
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Political News
May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.