Days after a step closer to approval for the first “parastronaut” space station missions, a new study says space exploration’s efforts to boost diversity offer valuable lessons for health professionals on Earth.
European Space Agency (ESA) Reserve astronaut John McFaul, a surgeon and former Paralympic runner, may be considered for the future International Space Station (ISS) operations after a recent feasibility analysis; The ESA-led effort found no major problems that would put the mission at risk if an ISS astronaut were to use a prosthetic limb. Although no spacewalk is guaranteed, McFaul may be the first person to board the ISS in a quarter-century of missions.
“This is a potential opportunity to send a powerful message to society and humanity, and to challenge the narrative around people’s expectations of what people with physical disabilities can do,” McFaul told reporters during a live press conference last week. (A recording provided to Space.com by ESA.)
Inclusion is the theme of a new study published Thursday (July 25), the day before National Disability Freedom Day today (July 26), in the journal Communication Medicine. McFaul’s example, the study argues, is a moment for healthcare organizations to promote accessibility through initiatives such as improving equipment, changing training and improving selection criteria for employees.
Related: Equal access to space: New study examines how to get more ‘parastronauts’ aloft
The Communication Medicine study was not directly related to McFaul’s feasibility analysis, but one of its authors (Jennifer Ngo-Ann) was used to coordinate ESA science activities involving the ISS. Ngo-Anh recently moved to ESA’s Directorate of Commercialization, Industry and Competition.
Lead author Fahran Asrar, a physician and associate professor at the University of Toronto, says the team was inspired by ESA’s parastronaut program and Haley Arceneaux, a cancer survivor with a prosthetic leg who will fly on the privately funded Inspiration4 mission with SpaceX in 2021.
“We’re looking at how space technology and the space sector can make a positive difference in our Earth-based, let’s say, challenges — whether it’s public health, environmental health, or other kinds of social sectors that can help our patients. Here,” Asrar Space.com said to
Asrar said McFall is an amazing example in the health field, which would otherwise struggle to be inclusive; Inclusion can always be improved in space as well, he said, and other industries like healthcare should catch up.
“There’s a lot of research that shows how people with disabilities are less likely to be employed, compared to people without disabilities,” he said. “Other statistics and information refer to a lot of what we call abilities, where people have the assumption, ‘Oh, this person’s not going to be able to do that,’ or ‘They’re not going to be able to handle medical practice, medical roles.
Azrar’s study group also includes Dana Boles, an engineer and communications professional who is missing both legs, according to an interview she did with her employer, NASA. Initially inspired by the astronaut program, Bolles later earned a degree in mechanical engineering because not only was he interested, but he uses a wheelchair and medical equipment: “I thought having that skill and knowledge would be useful not only in my work life, but in my everyday life.”
Bolles is an ambassador for the nonprofit AstroAccess program, which sends people with disabilities to fly in parabolic aircraft to conduct scientific research. Her 2021 flight tested assistive devices for spaceflight.
One of Bolles’ biggest professional challenges, she said, is people “making assumptions about what I can’t do,” which can reduce opportunities for meetings or conversations. “Depending on who the person is, it can be difficult to overcome,” she said.
Related: Zero-G flight for disabled ambassadors demonstrates that space is accessible to all
Asrar’s inclusion study correctly points out that spaceflight is inherently disabling. Despite the odds, all humans flying aboard the ISS experience muscle weakness, fluid shifts, and other bodily changes. If the operation lasts weeks or months, long rehabilitation takes place after the flight under medical supervision.
On the other hand, the microgravity of space may make some disorders more accessible, Azrar said. Maybe, he thinks, he could use the missions of McFall (should he get one), Arceneaux and others “to transform all of those experiences — the technological capabilities to support space.” [to] Benefit the world’s disabled people.”
McFaul’s leg was amputated in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19, according to his biography. He later not only won medals as a sprinter at the 2008 Paralympics, but also obtained numerous medical certifications – including basic surgical training covering general surgery, urology and trauma and orthopaedics. When necessary, McFall wears a prosthetic leg — which will go with training activities and any eventual spacewalks he might choose.
“I’ll have to wear a prosthesis during launch, which means wearing it inside the spacesuit. It’s for minimal emergencies during launch,” McFaul said, referring to evacuation procedures. “I’ll have to wear an orbital prosthesis to do countermeasures to protect my body from the effects of microgravity.”
The feasibility analysis covered many aspects of McFall’s prosthesis, including making sure it would be compatible with ISS exercise equipment like the treadmill and bike, and whether changes in the volume of his prosthesis would affect how his prosthesis fit his body. So far the analysis has only examined the ISS environment, but future efforts may consider spacewalks, McFaul said.
“If we can demonstrate how systematic and thorough we’ve done this study and present the results in a very sensible, rational way, then there’s really a lot of power for open-minded people to engage in these types of studies in the future,” McFaul said. “We’re really setting a precedent.”
McFall is not a full-time ESA astronaut, nor has he undergone basic training at the agency. He is instead part of the agency’s reserve team for short-term spaceflight opportunities and has undergone familiarization classes. One reserve astronaut from McFaul’s team recently made it to space: Sweden’s Marcus Vand flew to the ISS earlier this year on a multi-week Axiom Space Ax-3 personal mission.
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