Paralympic star to become first disabled astronaut in space

The UK’s John McFall, 41, is among the 17 candidates selected to join the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Class of 2022 — all of whom could eventually be heading for the Moon.

The announcement of the future crop of space explorers was made at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris this afternoon following the closure of the two-day ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level, Express reported on November 23.

The ESA Astronaut Class of 2022, the space agency revealed, includes five career astronauts, 11 members for the astronaut reserve — and one astronaut with a physical disability — Mr McFall — selected for the “Parastronaut Feasibility Project” which will “improve our understanding of, and overcome, the barriers space flight presents for astronauts with a physical disability”.

Last year represented the first time since 2008 that the space agency has put out a call for applicants to join their astronaut program. In total, they received more than 22,500 valid candidates from across the ESA’s Member States and Associate Members — including 257 applications for the role of astronaut with a physical disability.

The most applications were received from France — with 7,087 submissions — followed by Germany (at 3.695), the United Kingdom (at 2,000), Italy (1,845) and Spain (1341).

Of the initial applicants, 76 percent were men and 24 percent women — with 530 women and 831 men invited to progress to the second phase of selection. Of the applicants from the UK, 166 made it through to the second stage.

After the initial screening — which considered each applicant’s CV, documentation and results of special questionnaires — the second stage saw 1,361 candidates subjected to a battery of tests from the practical through to the psychological at the ESA assessment centre in Hamburg.

This was followed by an additional, medical-based screening process — followed by two interviews. The first assessed behavioural and technical skills, while the latter interview was held with the ESA Director General himself, Dr Josef Aschbacher.

The new class of astronauts will be taking up duty at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, where they will undergo basic training for one year. Following this, they will move into the space station training phase before being assigned to specific missions.

Prior to the announcement of the new class of astronauts, Dr Aschbacher said that they were all “incredible people”. He added: “Today we welcome the 17 members of the new ESA astronaut class 2022. This ESA astronaut class is bringing ambition, talent and diversity in many different forms — to drive our endeavours, and our future.”

Five candidates were chosen to become career astronauts. They included the UK’s Rosemary Coogan, an astronomer with the National Centre for Space Studies; and France’s Sophie Adenot, a helicopter pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours under her belt in both test flights and rescue missions.

They will be joined by Spain’s Pablo Álvarez Fernández, an aerospace engineer who has contributed to the development and testing of bioseals for the ExoMars rover which will be looking for signs of life on the Red Planet.

The final two new ESA career astronauts are Belgium’s Raphaël Liégeois, a biomedical engineer who works as a research and teaching fellow at the University of Geneva and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; and Switzerland’s Marco Sieber, a helicopter emergency rescue doctor who enjoys flying and paragliding and served as a sergeant in the Swiss Army.

Alongside Mr McFall and Ms Coogan, a third Briton also made the ESA Astronaut Class of 2022. Meganne Christian is a materials scientist with the National Research Council of Itlay in Bologna, Italy.

ESA’s director of Human and Robotic Exploration, David Parker, said: “This is an extraordinary time for human spaceflight and for Europe. After the successful launch of Artemis I with ESA’s European Service Module powering Orion to the Moon, we are on the forefront of human space exploration. We are delighted to have this group of extremely talented people, to continue European science and operations on the International Space Station and beyond.”

Speaking during the announcement of the new class of ESA astronauts, Mr McFall said: “When it was announced they were looking for a candidate with a physical disability, I thought it was such an exhilarating possibility, such a brave and bold thing to do.

“So with my scientific background and vast range of experiences, I felt compelled to try and help ESA to help answer the question of if someone with a physical disability can do meaningful work in space. I think I can bring a lot to the study, including inspiration.”

He concluded: “Science is for everyone and so is space.”

Reacting to the news of Mr McFall's selection, disability equality charity Scope's Head of Communications Alison Kerry said: “This is a major leap forward. Every project, from building a website to training to be an astronaut should include and consider disabled people right from the very beginning. If we did this our society would be much more accessible to everyone. Better representation of disabled people in influential roles will really help improve attitudes and break down the barriers that many disabled people face today.”

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “This is a momentous day for the UK Space Agency, our space sector and the country as a whole. Through our investment in the European Space Agency, the UK is playing a leading role in space exploration and collaborating with international partners to use the unique vantage point of space to benefit life on Earth.

“Space has an incredible power to inspire and I am sure Rosemary, John and Meganne will become heroes for many young people and inspire them to shoot for the stars. It’s also important to remember that, behind every astronaut, there is a dedicated team of people, including in the UK, working behind the scenes to achieve the incredible.”

Science and Space Minister George Freeman said: “Tim Peake’s Principia mission showed us all how space has the power to inspire millions across the country, showcasing the UK’s role as a space science superpower.

“Today’s announcement of the next set of UK ESA astronauts is a sign of international respect for both UK space scientists and the UK’s commitment to space for all.

“Just as sport is the ultimate test ground of human endeavour on land, space represents the ultimate testbed for science and technology. As London 2012 Paralympic Games changed the global profile of Paralympics, so space is the ultimate environment to show our commitment to the values of shared endeavour for the good of humanity and the planet.

“I congratulate Rosemary, John and Meganne on their remarkable achievement and look forward to them inspiring a new generation.”