Spaceflight and disability: Michaela Benthaus and John McFall

For a long time, the idea of people with disabilities actively participating in space missions seemed almost unthinkable. Michaela Benthaus and John McFall illustrate, in different ways, how inclusive spaceflight is being approached today. Benthaus, an engineer at the European Space Agency (ESA), took part in a suborbital spaceflight in late 2025. McFall is a member of ESA’s astronaut corps and became the first person with a leg prosthesis to successfully complete the feasibility assessment for human space missions.

In brief: inclusive paths to space

Two current examples of spaceflight and disability: Michaela Benthaus and John McFall
The medical, technical, and organizational requirements involved
What their experiences mean for inclusive spaceflight

View of Earth from space as a symbol of spaceflight and disability

Two people, two paths to spaceflight

Michaela Benthaus

Engineer at ESA
Wheelchair user (spinal cord injury)
Suborbital spaceflight with Blue Origin (2025): short flight reaching the edge of space, without entering Earth orbit
Focus: experiences under microgravity and physical stress as a basis for further research

Michaela Benthaus is an engineer at the European Space Agency (ESA). She lives with a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair. In late 2025, she took part in a suborbital spaceflight operated by the space company Blue Origin, during which a brief period of weightlessness was achieved. The flight was part of a commercial space program but also served to gather experience under real spaceflight conditions.

Ahead of the mission, Benthaus repeatedly emphasized that she did not view the flight as a tourist experience. Instead, the focus was on gaining scientific and technical insights and pushing existing boundaries – particularly with regard to how spaceflight can be designed more inclusively in the future. In this context, her own body became part of the research, for example in relation to physical stress, movement patterns, and procedures in microgravity.

John McFall is a surgeon, former Paralympic athlete, and a member of the European Space Agency’s astronaut corps. He has used a leg prosthesis since a motorcycle accident. McFall was selected for ESA’s astronaut program in 2022 and subsequently completed the feasibility study "Fly!", which examined whether – and under what conditions – people with physical disabilities can take part in regular space missions.

In early 2025, ESA confirmed that McFall successfully completed all medical and technical assessments and is considered fit for mission. According to Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, McFall is now fundamentally in the same position as other astronaut team members, with any future assignment depending on upcoming mission planning.

John McFall

Member of the ESA’s astronaut corps
Leg prosthesis following an above-knee amputation
Successful completion of ESA’s feasibility study "Fly!" (2025)
Focus: integrating prosthetic devices into work routines and safety systems of human spaceflight

How do people with disabilities get to space?

Medical fitness and safety

The foundation of all human spaceflight is medical fitness. These criteria apply to all astronauts, regardless of whether they have a disability. What matters is the ability to remain capable of acting under physical strain and in exceptional situations.

For people with disabilities, this does not necessarily result in stricter requirements, but it does raise different questions. In John McFall’s case, assessments focused on how his leg prosthesis behaves under spaceflight conditions and how it can be safely integrated into work routines. For Michaela Benthaus, the emphasis was on physical stress and movement patterns in microgravity.

Training, work routines, and everyday life on board

In addition to medical fitness, training plays a central role. Astronauts must be able to perform procedures reliably, move safely through modules, and function as part of a team.

For people with disabilities, this means that procedures are not reinvented but reviewed and, where necessary, adapted. The key question is whether tasks can be carried out consistently and safely – for example, securing oneself at a workstation or operating instruments. Programs such as ESA’s feasibility study "Fly!" focus precisely on these aspects.

Assistive devices and technology as part of the system

A central question is how assistive devices can be integrated into existing spaceflight technology. In John McFall’s case, his leg prosthesis was tested extensively, including its material properties, fixation, and load-bearing capacity. The goal was not a special solution, but integration into established safety and operational concepts.

For wheelchair users, the focus is likewise less on the assistive device itself than on its integration: transfers, fixation points, and freedom of movement must be compatible with mission requirements. Assistive technologies are therefore considered part of a functioning overall system.

The examples of Michaela Benthaus and John McFall demonstrate the conditions under which spaceflight with a disability is possible: medical fitness, training, and the integration of assistive devices into existing systems.

Nadine Lormis smiles in to the camera; Copyright: Victoria Emanuel

Author: Nadine Lormis | REHACARE eMag

Nadine Lormis has been writing about (digital) developments in the assistive technology sector, self-determined living and inclusion for over 15 years. As editorial director of the REHACARE eMag, she is closely networked with the community of people with disabilities and chronic illnesses – both professionally and personally.

Published on: January 30, 2026

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