European Space Agency open to hiring astronauts with a physical disability
- Reference: 1613545266
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/02/17/esa_hiring_astronauts/
- Source link:
The Agency envisions a Parastronaut travelling to the International Space Station. Any such mission should be “as safe, and as useful, as any other mission of any other professional astronaut.”
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Persons whose feet or legs have a deficiency through the ankle or below the knee, as a result of amputation or congenital limb deficiency, will be considered. Folks with a leg length difference will also be considered, as can persons of short stature (<130 cm) will also be considered.
The ESA hasn’t set a timeframe for the project. “We know there are many unknowns in this endeavor,” says the Agency’s [2]announcement of the program. “At this time, we also do not know if we can identify answers to all of the questions. However, it takes courage to start, to make the first step, and that is what we are doing “.
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ESA signs off on three more service modules for Moon mission – despite agency boss casting doubt on 2024 landing [4]READ MORE
News of the Parastronaut program was released alongside an announcement that the ESA will soon advertise for new astronauts. The Agency wants more crew, and a more diverse crew as only one of its current roster is a woman.
Applicants need to be a citizen of an ESA member state or associate nation, and hold a Master’s degree in natural sciences, medicine, engineering, mathematics, or computer sciences. Applicants with a degree as an experimental test pilot and/or test engineer from an official experimental test pilot school will also be considered. Fluent English is required and proficiency in other languages is welcome.
Applications will be open until May 28th, with selections due to be announced by October 2022.
The ESA hasn’t said how many astronauts it plans to hire but says they can expect full-time jobs and “will be trained for long-duration or complex space missions.”
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Applications will open on March 31st. So if you see “Astronaut wanted” ads the next day, it’s not joke. ®
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[2] https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/ESA_Astronaut_Selection/Parastronaut_feasibility_project
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Re: Makes sense
And more than that it's mostly the human environment that disables people here on terra firma.
Given appropriate design many people you would consider disabled aren't.
Imagine a world with door frames at 4' height. People standing would be disabled by the architecture, those in chairs wouldn't...
On the other hand I could be perfect astronaut fodder - I am physically incapable of motion sickness of any sort - which would include space sickness (my inner ear has been basically destroyed, so I have literally no sense of balance, and no sense of which way is up).
What about stomas?
The case has been made many times that people who already shit through mechanical devices are perfect for space exploration.
When you look at the achievements of competitors in the Paralympics and the disabilities they overcome, it makes sense that anyone who can fulfill the requirements for an astronaut should be considered.
Lois McMaster Bujold - Falling Free
Worth a read. Was my intro to Bujold, and I'm binge reading the Mile Vorkosigan at the moment.
Makes sense
This makes sense, the lack of gravity makes some disabled folk less disabled. The leg thing is you have to be able to push off from walls with your legs. So no paraplegics will be considered. I expect those assisted robot walking frames might help but HEAVY for boosting into orbit. Tech may develop of course. So never say never.