The European Space Agency (ESA) is testing John McFall, the first disabled astronaut and former British Paralympian, to examine potential air quality issues posed by his prosthetic leg aboard the International Space Station (ISS). His carbon-fibre socket and high-density foam components may leak gases over time, requiring further investigation. McFall’s prosthetic limb, which is comprised of a carbon-fiber socket impregnated with resin and polymer-based high-density foam, could emit gases that could collect in the ISS’s recycled air over time. The ESA wants to know if these materials match NASA criteria and if any risks to long-term space habitation can be minimized.
This worry is part of the ESA’s larger feasibility study, which is looking into the impact of prosthesis use and amputee circumstances in space. This study is entangled with McFall’s astronaut training, with a decision on his future space flight reliant on the study’s outcome in 2025. McFall, who lost his right leg in a motorbike accident when he was 19, is a seasoned Paralympian who sees this possibility as a game changer in making space exploration accessible to people with physical disabilities. The inclusion of a “para-astronaut” in space missions is a first for major Western space agencies.
Twenty people have died in the quest for space exploration over slightly more than 60 years
Twenty people have died in the quest for space exploration over slightly more than 60 years. Despite what appears to be a low figure given the complexities of human spaceflight, NASA’s ambitious plans to return to the Moon by 2025, the mission to Mars within the next decade, and the growing prominence of commercial spaceflight all point to a shifting landscape where the possibility of death looms, as highlighted by the Conversation.
Practical precautions have been devised in the event of a fatality during a mission in low Earth orbit or on the Moon. Rapid return procedures, such as capsules or crew trips, are in place to ensure that the deceased individual’s body is returned to Earth as soon as possible, often within hours or days. In these circumstances, crew safety and adherence to operating protocols take precedence over the preservation of the deceased’s remains.
