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Meet John McFall \u2013 Paralympian, medical doctor and member of ESA\u2019s Astronaut Reserve. As part of ESA\u2019s groundbreaking FLY initiative, John is helping prove that physical disability is no barrier to space. In this episode, he shares the results of a feasibility study showing no technical showstoppers for flying to the International Space Station with a prosthesis and talks about what\u2019s next\u2014from hardware certification and scientific proposals to astronaut reserve training and running in microgravity.<\/p>\n
In this miniseries, we take you on a journey through the ESA Astronaut Reserve, diving into the first part of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany. Our \u201cARTists\u201d are immersing themselves in everything from ESA and the International Space Station programme to the European space industry and institutions. They\u2019re gaining hands-on experience in technical skills like spacecraft systems and robotics, alongside human behaviour, scientific lessons, scuba diving and survival training.\u00a0<\/p>\n
ESA\u2019s Astronaut Reserve Training\u00a0programme is all about building Europe\u2019s next generation of space explorers\u2014preparing them for the opportunities of future missions in Earth orbit and beyond.<\/p>\n
This interview was recorded in February 2025.<\/p>\n
You can listen to this episode on all\u00a0major podcast platforms.<\/p>\n
Keep exploring with\u00a0ESA Explores!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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