Needless to say, I find this very exciting indeed. It was just featured on the BBC Breakfast program: the European Space Agency is currently training the world’s first amputee astronaut. “Former Paralympian John McFall is working with the European Space Agency on a ground-breaking study to see if it’s feasible for someone with a physical disability to live and work in space.” While some cynics may dismiss this as some kind of publicity or inclusivity stunt, I have to say I find it very encouraging indeed. It sends out a clear message that those of us with physical disabilities have just as much to human progress as anyone else, and that we can participate in endeavours like the exploration of space. And who knows where this might lead: could we one day see someone with a condition like cerebral palsy go up into the final frontier? Now that would certainly be awesome, although I suspect their dribbling might cause a few issues.