British "parastronaut" becomes first person with a disability to be cleared for ISS mission

John was announced as a European Space Agency astronaut in 2022

The world's very first astronaut with a physical disability has been cleared to head on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in the future.

On Friday, The European Space Agency (ESA) announced John McFall, who is also a British surgeon and former Paralympic sprinter for Great Britain, had been given medical clearance for a longer mission on the ISS.

The astronaut, who lost his leg in an accident when he was 19, said he was proud following the news.

He hopes it'll change people's ideas about what those with disabilities are capable of achieving.

The astronaut is also a former Paralympic sprinter

"This is way bigger than me -- this is a cultural shift," the astronaut said at an online press conference.

Since McFall was first announced as an ESA astronaut in 2022, the agency has been looking into how possible it would be for someone who uses prosthetics to become a crew member on a space mission.

There isn't a set date for when McFall will become the first "parastronaut", but the The next phase of the process will look at what will be needed so he can best overcome any additional challenges he encounters in space.

"Now he's an astronaut like everybody else who wants to fly to the space station, waiting for a mission assignment," the ESA's director of human and robotic exploration Daniel Neuenschwander said.