Agreement between UK government and US space company Vast brings Hampshire surgeon one step closer to historic mission
UK astronaut John McFall could become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit, following an agreement signed between the UK Government and US commercial space company Vast.
The Memorandum of Understanding will see the UK Space Agency support Vast in securing sponsorships to fund a spaceflight for McFall, who last year became the first person with a physical disability to be medically cleared for a long-duration mission.
McFall, an NHS surgeon from Hampshire who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19, was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2022 for its Fly! Project, which is pioneering the inclusion of astronauts with physical disabilities in long-duration space missions.
He also competed as a sprinter at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
The potential mission would see McFall travel to Haven-1, planned to be the world’s first commercial space station, which is scheduled for launch in 2027.
He would conduct research into human physiology, how prosthetics perform in microgravity, and how people move and balance in space.
The findings could benefit disabled people on Earth, including advances in prosthetic design and new insights into rehabilitation techniques for amputees.
A landmark for inclusive spaceflight
McFall 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.”
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.”
Fellow astronaut Tim Peake, the first UK astronaut to visit 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.”
McFall would be the first Brit to go to space in more than 10 years, since Peake’s Principia mission in 2015/2016.
