Chinanews.com, November 24. According to foreign media reports, the European Space Agency announced the latest list of astronauts on the 23rd local time. Among them, British disabled athlete John McFaul is expected to become the first disabled person to enter space after relevant training. astronaut.
According to reports, according to the list released by the European Space Agency, the French woman Sophie Adenot, the Spanish man Pablo Alvarez Fernandez, and the British woman Rosemary Coogan stood out from more than 20,000 candidates. .
Unlike the above-mentioned astronaut candidates, British sprinter McFaul is the only disabled person on the list.
He will take part in a feasibility study designed to allow the European Space Agency to assess what it will take for people with disabilities to participate in future missions.
According to reports, McFaul had his right leg amputated at the age of 19 due to a car accident, but later became a professional sprinter and won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
McFaul said in an interview: "As an amputee, I had never thought about the possibility of becoming an astronaut before. It was a whirlwind experience for me. The emotion was extremely exciting." He also said: "My message to future generations is that science exists for everyone and hopefully space travel can be for everyone."