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-PC Follies
ESA wants disabled astronauts?
2021-02-18
[SpaceNews] ‘Parastronaut’ sought as ESA recruits its first new astronauts in more than a decade.

The European Space Agency announced Feb. 16 that its first call for new astronauts in more than a decade will be open to candidates with physical disabilities.

During a briefing with reporters, ESA officials said the agency plans to recruit four to six career astronauts and a pool of approximately 20 reserve astronauts, a first for ESA. Additionally, in another first for the agency, outgoing ESA Director General Jan Wörner announced that it is looking to recruit its first “parastronaut.”

ESA said it aims to select a parastronaut from among a pool of candidates deemed psychologically, cognitively, technically and professionally qualified but who have a physical disability that would normally prevent them from being selected due to requirements imposed by current space hardware.
Posted by:3dc

#16  Legs are just extra weight to boost into orbit. They could save $500K per astronaut. That's not chicken feed.
Posted by: KBK   2021-02-18 18:31  

#15  Roar boosters, "Develop more thrust
To lift the butt, belly, or bust
Of spacepersons of size!
O obesetronauts, rise!
Thunder, thighs, to the skies... maybe... just."
Posted by: Ho Chi Shusogum5632   2021-02-18 18:19  

#14  The Old Irish Space Program

A monk of Lough Bofin grew sullen
Who craved the Gae Bulg of Cuchullain,
And leapt on him, sure,
But it blew premature,
And they flew all the way to Helvellyn.
Posted by: Ho Chi Shusogum5632   2021-02-18 17:46  

#13  i could see someone like a double leg amputee actually being a little better at adapting and various other things. the spacesuit would certainly be cheaper.

but as usual, they are doing this ass backwards and are just looking for the cachet of 'first!'
Posted by: Bob Grorong1136   2021-02-18 16:57  

#12  seriously, it amazes me at the utter stupidity in ppl these days.
Posted by: Chris   2021-02-18 15:49  

#11  Opportunity Cost is thousands of Euros/kg and they want the impaired choice?
Posted by: magpie   2021-02-18 15:21  

#10  Great. Like I would want a disabled dude up there if I needed help with a problem. I'd jettison his ass like Mini Me.
Posted by: Clem   2021-02-18 14:42  

#9  Remember the blind guy who sued to become a surgeon?
Posted by: M. Murcek   2021-02-18 14:18  

#8  Limerick, please?
Posted by: Hupeaper the Unfortunately Complexioned8456   2021-02-18 10:52  

#7  
Posted by: Jack Jereting3608   2021-02-18 09:09  

#6  She meant vertiginous
Posted by: Beldar Ebbutle9706   2021-02-18 09:04  

#5  
Posted by: Jack Jereting3608   2021-02-18 08:56  

#4  Leprechauns?
Posted by: jpal   2021-02-18 08:54  

#3  Who would be an "indiginous person" in Europe?
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia    2021-02-18 08:43  

#2  This ABCnews article explains the brazen new idea best.

As does this excerpt:
Associate Professor of Space Studies at Flinders University Alice Gorman said the agency was sending a powerful message with the recruitment drive, but that more needed to be done.

"Just knowing that it could be a woman [or] an Indigenous person ... taking those first footsteps on another planet, that has got to be a solar system breaking moment," she said.

"It's a bit of a myth that the white male body is the best adapted to space," she said.
Posted by: Dron66046   2021-02-18 08:40  

#1  Do psychiatric disabilities count?
Posted by: Mercutio   2021-02-18 07:23  

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