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| A taste of space with world's first disabled astronaut, John McFall | A taste of space with world's first disabled astronaut, John McFall |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Watch: John McFall shows how his prosthetic leg works in a weightless environment | |
| Watch: John McFall shows how his prosthetic leg works in a weightless environment | |
| John McFall is the European Space Agency's first ever para-astronaut, selected to study how feasible it is for someone with a physical disability to live and work in space. BBC News joined him on board a parabolic flight, where he experienced weightlessness for the first time. | John McFall is the European Space Agency's first ever para-astronaut, selected to study how feasible it is for someone with a physical disability to live and work in space. BBC News joined him on board a parabolic flight, where he experienced weightlessness for the first time. |
| One minute John McFall is lying on the floor of a plane. The next, he starts to float upwards, still horizontal, seemingly levitating towards the ceiling. | One minute John McFall is lying on the floor of a plane. The next, he starts to float upwards, still horizontal, seemingly levitating towards the ceiling. |
| He looks astonished - everyone on this far-from-normal flight does, as they slowly rise into the air. The sensation of being weightless, no longer pinned down by gravity, is extraordinary. | He looks astonished - everyone on this far-from-normal flight does, as they slowly rise into the air. The sensation of being weightless, no longer pinned down by gravity, is extraordinary. |
| You feel totally out of control - because you are. Any tiny movement against something solid sends you catapulting around the cabin, bouncing into walls and people. It's like being in a slow-motion pinball machine. | You feel totally out of control - because you are. Any tiny movement against something solid sends you catapulting around the cabin, bouncing into walls and people. It's like being in a slow-motion pinball machine. |
| A smile begins to form across John's face - he starts laughing. "It's brilliant, it's amazing," he says. | A smile begins to form across John's face - he starts laughing. "It's brilliant, it's amazing," he says. |
| Then suddenly, the weightlessness is gone and he falls to the ground. | Then suddenly, the weightlessness is gone and he falls to the ground. |
| John is investigating how his disability could affect life and work in space | John is investigating how his disability could affect life and work in space |
| John is an astronaut candidate with a difference - he's an amputee. When he was 19 he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, and now uses a high-tech prosthesis. | John is an astronaut candidate with a difference - he's an amputee. When he was 19 he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, and now uses a high-tech prosthesis. |
| He has now been recruited by the European Space Agency (Esa) to take part in a ground-breaking study assessing how to make spaceflight accessible to people with physical disabilities. | He has now been recruited by the European Space Agency (Esa) to take part in a ground-breaking study assessing how to make spaceflight accessible to people with physical disabilities. |
| "I saw that the European Space Agency had announced that they were looking for an astronaut with a physical disability," he says, "and I looked at the person specification and thought, 'Wow, that's me - I would love to give that a go'." | "I saw that the European Space Agency had announced that they were looking for an astronaut with a physical disability," he says, "and I looked at the person specification and thought, 'Wow, that's me - I would love to give that a go'." |
| John McFall won bronze at 2008's Paralympic Games in China | John McFall won bronze at 2008's Paralympic Games in China |
| John's used to pushing himself to the limit. After losing his leg and learning to walk again with a prosthesis, he took up running - for fun at first, then competitively. He went on to win a bronze medal in the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. | John's used to pushing himself to the limit. After losing his leg and learning to walk again with a prosthesis, he took up running - for fun at first, then competitively. He went on to win a bronze medal in the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. |
| He then decided to become a doctor and is currently working as a trauma and orthopaedic registrar in Hampshire, but he's had to pause his medical career - the opportunity to work with Esa was too good to turn down. | He then decided to become a doctor and is currently working as a trauma and orthopaedic registrar in Hampshire, but he's had to pause his medical career - the opportunity to work with Esa was too good to turn down. |
| "I'm very much following my heart and I'm following my curiosity," he explains, "and I'm following my passion for science and life." | "I'm very much following my heart and I'm following my curiosity," he explains, "and I'm following my passion for science and life." |
| Disabled man joins Europe's astronaut programme | Disabled man joins Europe's astronaut programme |
| Europe to commit billions to 'space race' | Europe to commit billions to 'space race' |
| I've joined John on board a specially adapted aircraft to take a parabolic flight. As the plane flies steeply upwards, we experience extra gravity - about twice as much as usual - where your whole body is pressed down into the floor. | I've joined John on board a specially adapted aircraft to take a parabolic flight. As the plane flies steeply upwards, we experience extra gravity - about twice as much as usual - where your whole body is pressed down into the floor. |
| Then, as the plane gets ready to nosedive back down, there's a moment when we become weightless for about 20 seconds. It's not that gravity has vanished, we're still bound by the laws of physics. Instead, we're actually in freefall - as is the plane around us - but this reproduces zero-gravity conditions. The plane repeats this manoeuvre again and again. | Then, as the plane gets ready to nosedive back down, there's a moment when we become weightless for about 20 seconds. It's not that gravity has vanished, we're still bound by the laws of physics. Instead, we're actually in freefall - as is the plane around us - but this reproduces zero-gravity conditions. The plane repeats this manoeuvre again and again. |
| Watch: The BBC's Rebecca Morelle struggles during her first experience of weightlessness | Watch: The BBC's Rebecca Morelle struggles during her first experience of weightlessness |
| Watch: The BBC's Rebecca Morelle struggles during her first experience of weightlessness | Watch: The BBC's Rebecca Morelle struggles during her first experience of weightlessness |
| There's a reason parabolic flights are nicknamed "vomit comets" - it's like riding on a mid-air rollercoaster. | There's a reason parabolic flights are nicknamed "vomit comets" - it's like riding on a mid-air rollercoaster. |
| Thankfully, I don't feel sick, but it's safe to say I'm not a natural astronaut. | Thankfully, I don't feel sick, but it's safe to say I'm not a natural astronaut. |
| I tumble, out of control, squealing, asking for help to come down. But I end up pinned to the ceiling - until the period of zero-gravity comes to an end, and I crash down like a sack of potatoes. Luckily the floor of this plane is well padded. | I tumble, out of control, squealing, asking for help to come down. But I end up pinned to the ceiling - until the period of zero-gravity comes to an end, and I crash down like a sack of potatoes. Luckily the floor of this plane is well padded. |
| Meanwhile, John is faring much better, soaring around and gaining confidence with every period of "zero-gravity". | Meanwhile, John is faring much better, soaring around and gaining confidence with every period of "zero-gravity". |
| The prosthesis John wears is technologically very complex, incorporating a microprocessor, hydraulics, a gyroscope, accelerometers and other force sensors. | The prosthesis John wears is technologically very complex, incorporating a microprocessor, hydraulics, a gyroscope, accelerometers and other force sensors. |
| "All those things together make the knee know where it is in space and how fast it's bending or straightening," John says. | "All those things together make the knee know where it is in space and how fast it's bending or straightening," John says. |
| He's assessing how well his prosthetic leg is operating in this unusual environment, and the challenge comes when weightlessness kicks in. | He's assessing how well his prosthetic leg is operating in this unusual environment, and the challenge comes when weightlessness kicks in. |
| "You'll probably see I'm floating around with my leg out straight, because that gravity isn't there," he explains. "So it's harder for me to turn quickly - because my leg doesn't want to bend. I'm just getting used to that and working out how I can move myself in zero-g, but each parabola is a learning opportunity." | "You'll probably see I'm floating around with my leg out straight, because that gravity isn't there," he explains. "So it's harder for me to turn quickly - because my leg doesn't want to bend. I'm just getting used to that and working out how I can move myself in zero-g, but each parabola is a learning opportunity." |
| John thinks that his prosthesis may be too high-tech for this environment, and a simpler one might fare better. And this is the whole point of his project with Esa: working out exactly what needs to be adapted for a person with a physical disability to spend time in space. It will cover everything, from pre-mission training, to looking at whether a spacecraft would have to be modified to accommodate John's needs. | John thinks that his prosthesis may be too high-tech for this environment, and a simpler one might fare better. And this is the whole point of his project with Esa: working out exactly what needs to be adapted for a person with a physical disability to spend time in space. It will cover everything, from pre-mission training, to looking at whether a spacecraft would have to be modified to accommodate John's needs. |
| John says his taste of space has whet his appetite for more | John says his taste of space has whet his appetite for more |
| But he says everyday life in a microgravity environment is still the biggest unknown. | But he says everyday life in a microgravity environment is still the biggest unknown. |
| "Will I wear a prosthesis? And if I wear a prosthesis, will I have to have something that will accommodate variations in volume in my stump? Would I be able to run on a treadmill in space? Will we have to adapt a spacesuit for a spacewalk? If so, in what ways?" he wonders. "All these questions are things we do not have answers for." | "Will I wear a prosthesis? And if I wear a prosthesis, will I have to have something that will accommodate variations in volume in my stump? Would I be able to run on a treadmill in space? Will we have to adapt a spacesuit for a spacewalk? If so, in what ways?" he wonders. "All these questions are things we do not have answers for." |
| John is acutely aware that his disability is specific to him, and he needs to take that into account while he's undertaking the study. | John is acutely aware that his disability is specific to him, and he needs to take that into account while he's undertaking the study. |
| "I haven't got a spinal cord injury, I haven't got cerebral palsy, or spina bifida. So I'm thinking about how this applies to other disabilities as well - but we have to start somewhere." | "I haven't got a spinal cord injury, I haven't got cerebral palsy, or spina bifida. So I'm thinking about how this applies to other disabilities as well - but we have to start somewhere." |
| There's a wider impact too. John hopes the project will redefine people's expectations of what someone with a physical disability can do. | There's a wider impact too. John hopes the project will redefine people's expectations of what someone with a physical disability can do. |
| John hopes the para-astronaut project will change people's perceptions of disability | John hopes the para-astronaut project will change people's perceptions of disability |
| As the flight nears its end, John keeps working on and improving his zero-gravity skills. He's now moving about easily and can even land standing up, while I continue to thwack down to the floor, every time. | As the flight nears its end, John keeps working on and improving his zero-gravity skills. He's now moving about easily and can even land standing up, while I continue to thwack down to the floor, every time. |
| When this project comes to an end, John isn't guaranteed a mission to space, but as the plane starts its preparations for landing, I ask if this experience has whet his appetite for space, or made him have second thoughts about his new job. | When this project comes to an end, John isn't guaranteed a mission to space, but as the plane starts its preparations for landing, I ask if this experience has whet his appetite for space, or made him have second thoughts about his new job. |
| "It's given me even more hunger and excitement," he says with a huge grin. "It's just awesome - I can't wait." | "It's given me even more hunger and excitement," he says with a huge grin. "It's just awesome - I can't wait." |
| Follow Rebecca on Twitter. | Follow Rebecca on Twitter. |
| Story produced by Alison Francis. Footage by Tony Jolliffe. | Story produced by Alison Francis. Footage by Tony Jolliffe. |