Elizabeth Mills and Gayle Markovitz
January 30, 2026
The European Space Agency picked former British Paralympic sprinter John McFall as part of its new generation of 17 trainees. John will be the world’s first-ever parastronaut. McFall won bronze in the 100 meters at the Beijing Paralympic Games in 2008. He lost his right leg following a motorbike accident when he was 19. As a parastronaut, he will work with the ESA to see what changes are needed to open spaceflight to a wider group of candidates. Here’s more.
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Elizabeth Mills and Gayle Markovitz
January 30, 2026