New Delhi: On the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, UK’s John McFall, an astronaut reserve member for the European Space Agency (ESA), flew the flag for space and sport, a government press release stated.
According to the release, in July 2024, the ESA announced that there were no technical showstoppers to the possibility of flying an astronaut with a disability like John’s on such a mission. This is a significant breakthrough for the Paralympic community, as it will allow more people with physical disabilities to participate in long-duration missions, including the International Space Station.
John McFall, a former Bronze medalist for Great Britain in the Beijing 2008 games, is now an astronaut reserve with a physical disability. In his new role at the ESA, he is working on the Fly.
The 2024 Paralympic Games are being held in Paris.