A British Paralympian and NHS surgeon is preparing to make history by becoming the first physically disabled person to travel into orbit.
John McFall could be sent to the planned Haven-1 space station under a new agreement between the UK Space Agency and Vast.
Haven-1 is expected to become the world's first commercially funded space station and laboratory in orbit, with a launch targeted for as early as spring 2027.
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McFall, who represented Team GB at the Paralympics, had his right leg amputated after a motorcycle accident in Thailand in 2000 when he was 19 years old. Despite the life-changing injury, he went on to enjoy a successful athletics career, winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
After retiring from athletics, he pursued a career in medicine, studying at Cardiff University before becoming an NHS surgeon.
In 2022, McFall was selected by the European Space Agency for its pioneering Fly! Project, an initiative designed to explore how astronauts with physical disabilities can safely participate in long-duration space missions.
The project marked a major step forward in making spaceflight more accessible and challenging long-held assumptions about who can become an astronaut.
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Speaking about the possibility of the mission, McFall said: "Today, the UK Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US space company Vast Space Station to explore the possibility of sending me to orbit as the first professional astronaut with a physical disability."
"Signing this agreement is incredibly exciting."
"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."
If the mission goes ahead, it would represent a landmark moment not only for space exploration but also for disability inclusion, demonstrating that physical disabilities need not be a barrier to participating in some of humanity's most ambitious endeavours.
The proposed flight would be another significant milestone in the evolution of commercial space travel, as private companies increasingly work alongside national space agencies to expand access to orbit and open new opportunities for scientific research and exploration.
