voice-over: this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. ignition... it's the job of dreams... ..with an out—of—this—world view. many would love to be an astronaut — but very few make the cut. there you go! the european space agency is pushing boundaries with its latest candidate, john mcfall. absolutely amazing. this is what it feels like. woohoo! he's an amputee, and he's taking part in a ground—breaking project to see if someone with

a disability can go to space. this project will deliver a very strong message to redefine or define what people's interpretation of what someone with a physical disability can do. meet the world's first para astronaut who could open up space for everyone. applause chosen from 22,000 applicants after an incredibly tough selection process, these are the european space agency's new astronauts, the brightest and the best. among them is a candidate who's a first. so, i think it's wise that we now announce our para astronaut, and that isjohn mcfall. applause john mcfall has been selected

using exactly the same criteria as all european astronauts. but unlike any of the others, he has a physical disability. now, he's taking part in a ground—breaking project. being an amputee, being an astronaut was never really on my radar because, like the military, you wouldn't pass the medical selection process. i thought i would have the skills, a mix of skills and scientific background that i could really help them answer this very aspirational question of — can we get someone with a physical disability into space, to work in space safely? and i thought i could be that person. for the last ten years, john's been working as an orthopedic surgeon. hi, sir. how are you? but his life's about to change, possibly forever. it's daunting. it's quite scary, because i'm giving up the security of being a doctor.

it's a fantastic profession, i love it. there are so many aspects about it that i absolutely love. so, trepidation from that point of view, but very, very excited about what the future holds. when i came across the announcement that esa were looking for an astronaut with a physical disability, and i looked at it and ifelt inspired by it, it was really the only way i can describe it. it looked really, really interesting. the person's specification, the characteristics that they were looking for of the candidates, i was like, yeah, that's me. i can do that. and that's what really interested me. john grew up in hampshire. as a child, he loved sports. but when he was a teenager, he had a serious accident while he was on holiday. i had a motorcycle accident when i was 19 in thailand, in the year 2000, i was travelling. boys being boys, taking risks. and it turns out that some risks have consequences. and i crashed a motorbike and did a lot of damage

to my right leg, which required it being amputated through the knee not long after the accident. i had a place at university to go to and i was due to start in september 2000. so i then deferred my place for a year, learnt to walk again. and, really, that was when i started to — what i would call learn to be an amputee and learn to be me again. not content with just walking, he learned to run at the highest level. he represented great britain. john went on to win a medal at the 2008 paralympic games. the application of being a full—time athlete was probably the first time in my life that i realised what i could do if i put my mind to it

and if i put my effort into it. john's accident set his life on an entirely new path. the opportunities that i have come across as a result of it, i never could have predicted those, and i wouldn't change it for the world. it's shaped the decisions i've made in my life and it's really, really contributed to the person that i am today. what are you feeling, john? amazing! now, john mcfall�*s decision to become an astronaut is his biggest yet. he's getting a taste of space on a parabolic flight, where you experience periods of weightlessness. ijoinjohn for his and my first flight. here we go. oh! help, help, help! i'm spinning! spinning. i want to come down. it's like the ground

is moving away from you. it's really hard to actually control where you're going. as you can see, it's hard to master. but this is the closest that we can get to experience what being an astronaut is like. john, how are you finding it? look at this! i mean, where do you get this? and down! 0oh! it works by a plane making an extremely steep climb. it takes a team of three to control the manoeuvre. the plane then arcs to begin its descent, and that's where the weightlessness kicks in. there you go. john uses an extremely high—tech prosthesis. it's his first chance to test it in this new environment. so, just tell us about how your prosthesis is doing. so, i mean, this is designed to work with gravity. exactly. there's some really clever gadgetry in this knee, you know, accelerometers, a gyroscope,

those sorts of things that obviously are collecting data when you're in normal gravity. and you probably see me when i'm floating around, actually... so, in normal gravity, if you look here, the knee bends under normal gravity. but when you go into zero—g, you'll probably see i'm floating around a lot with the leg straight because that gravity isn't there. and there's a concept called the conservation of angular momentum. like ice skaters — when ice skaters are spinning on ice, they stick their arms out and slow down or they tuck into a ball and speed up. so it's harderfor me to turn quicker, because my leg doesn't want to bend, therefore, i'm kind of out straight a little bit. so i'm just getting used to that and working out how i can move myself in zero—g and learning how to move myself in zero—g, taking into account this phenomenon. so, are you sort of starting to predict what your prosthesis is going to do? well, i think at the moment i'm just predicting that it's going to stay out straight. otherwise, i have to keep my good leg hooked over the prosthesis like this to hold it there. but every time, each parabola

is a learning opportunity. it is! and this is what the european space agency's project is all about — finding out what needs to be adapted forjohn to go to space. this has never been done before. so there isn't a blueprint for this and there is no map. how will my disability affect my ability to work on a day—to—day basis as an astronaut? 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? will we have to adapt a spacesuit for a spacewalk? if so, in what ways? all these questions are things we do not have answers for. that is really the purpose why i am doing this and undertaking this feasibility project. can you help me? can you help me down? being weightless isn't for everyone. i've got no control. but, thankfully,

that's not the case withjohn. yeah, it's ok. still happy with signing up? absolutely. absolutely, yeah. you haven't made a terrible mistake? not at all. i can't wait. john's ambitions are sky high, and the international space station is the destination for astronauts, offering an out—of—this—world experience from the orbiting laboratory. john is not guaranteed a mission here, though, but his study with the european space agency is all about seeing if one is possible. the training takes place at the european astronaut centre, in cologne, in germany. this is a life—sized mock—up of the module that's on the

international space station. so, totally to scale? yeah, i to i scale, yeah. ok, let's go in and have a look. is the earth down there? the earth is that way, yeah. so, if you had a nice window there, which there isn't, unfortunately, you would see earth there, and the rest of space is up there. so, which bit is this, john? so, we're in the columbus module, and this is the european space agency's orbiting laboratory. and what's this over here? so, this is a glove box, and this would be something where you might be working with biological materials, for example. so maybe doing a bone analysis or something like that. if you wave, this is you. as seen from the camera of the rover. yeah! john's looking at missions from every angle. here, he's getting a virtual taste of the moon. he's trying to assess how his disability will impact everything

from spacesuits to any equipment, as well as the spacecraft itself. of course, the gravity plays a big role here. it takes a long time to come back. but he's well aware that there are some limitations to the scope of his project. yeah, this is where you were just before. one of the things we've got to be conscious about with the study is my disability is not representative of the whole disabled population. but what's really exciting and interesting about this is this is pushing that door open. ok, this is the first time that anybody has done it. and we can't expect to do all disabilities in one go. this is more symbolic, as well. it's a real starting point, a real stepping stone for what i hope will be a much biggerjourney on exploring how we are going to deal with getting people with other physical disabilities and other

sensory disabilities into human space flight. the man in charge of europe's astronaut corps says it's time to open up space. in the beginning, allthe astronauts were test pilots. probably some people have seen the movie the right stuff. it was all white males going, being very strong. and we have seen that there has been an evolution, that we start understanding more and more that in order to fly to space, in order to be an astronaut, you also need different qualities. and we think this is a great opportunity, because we have so many great talents, people that have a disability, like we see john with a lower limb that has been amputated because of an accident when he was young. but with so much talent, so much capabilities. and why should we not try to also harvest this talent within our european space agency for great missions like astronaut missions? were other space agencies a bit surprised when the european space agency

said they were going to do something like this? i think other space agencies were surprised. some of them are still surprised that we really want to go forward with it. something that, oh, this is a study, and then we will see what happens. but it's really our goal to study, but also, to make it happen. john's family has moved from the uk to germany for the project. it's a big change for his wife, sonia, a former 0lympic gymnast and their three children, finn, isla andjimmy. chop that way. am i doing the avocado, yeah? what do you think? we've moved to germany. and what do you think when you tell people what daddy does? what do you think of daddy being an astronaut? i'm proud. um...it's really cool. i think it's a massive achievement from going from a doctor,

working in a massive building... and then possibly being shot off from a bomb into a black void! what do you say that daddy does? um...he trains- to go up into space. yeah? and people, like, ask me loads of questions... - do they? ..about dad's leg. just knowing him and knowing what he's like as a person, what he's got to offer, that it's the right career for him, 100%. well, what's different about what i'm doing? you're just... well, cos i don't really. know what you're doing. laughing it is quite funny when when you look at his cv and what he's done. but part of me, i've always known that there's always been something more. i've always felt like that john's got something more to offer. john could never have, when he lost his leg, dream of being an astronaut because it wasn't possible. it wasn't out there. it wasn't an option. and it's a big thing in our family

that you go for the opportunity. and for me, this was an opportunity. and he's gone and taken it. and i hope he gets the reward for it, which is eventually going to space and showing people that it's possible. exercise is a big part ofjohn�*s life. even more so now he's an astronaut candidate. keeping fit in space is vital to maintain muscle mass and bone strength. he uses a blade for running, and he needs to find out more about how it might work in space. at the astronaut centre, he's trying a special anti—gravity treadmill. 0k, we will start with 85. it recreates the conditions on the international space station, in effect, making john lighter. but he's finding that there are some issues with his blade. my body weight pushes that into the ground. it compresses the blade, and then the blade

springs back again, giving me a natural spring. so the natural spring that you would have in your foot to move forward. to help propel you forward. even testing this at 80% of my body weight, i notice that it's already too stiff. and that's because i'm lighter. i'm putting less force into the blade, it's bending less, and, therefore, giving me less spring back. so, you might need something a bit bendier? something less stiff, yes, something a bit more flexible. because, essentially, i'm lighter running on the treadmill on the iss. the weight lifting, because you have to, like, do several movements. i the study has identified that i will need a few prosthesis, a few pieces of hardware. so, it's not going to be just one type of prosthesis that i take up for everyday activity. so, i use a different prosthesis for running, so that will also be hardware that i need to take.

if the microprocessor knee fails for any reason on the international space station, i will need a mechanical knee to back it up, or a replacement microprocessor knee. and then there's the mechanical knee, which will probably need to be worn inside the spacesuit for launching and return. and then there's also the socket as well. so, we have to ask ourselves — do we take a spare socket or not? so, these are all quite interesting questions. but i will need a bit of a wardrobe of prosthetic hardware to take with me. strong back. abs tight. so, every piece of hardware that goes to the space station, whether it be a camera, a laptop, an experiment, a prosthesis — it has to be safe to aid transport too. so, go up in the launch vehicle and be safe on the space station itself. and it goes through a very,

very rigorous testing process. let's see if this is comfortable. there are more tests forjohn, too, and this one�*s not for the faint hearted. have a good ride. will do. _ ..or the claustrophobic. 3,2,1... ignition and lift off. he's taking a spin in a giant centrifuge. it mimics the extreme gravity he'd experience heading up to space in a rocket and coming back down. we experience 16 on earth and the forces that we're going to be experiencing today during launch probably going up to about 3.5 g. so 3.5 times the force of gravity. and then the final part of the familiarisation today is seeing what it would feel like in a soyuz re—entry. so, simulating 66 — six times the force of gravity. right now,

they're increasing the gravity thatjohn�*s experiencing. but he's been smiling, so he looks ok so far. but he is being monitored all the time, checking to see the effects on his heart, on his oxygen levels, to see how his body is reacting. the effects on the body differ from person to person. but, in general, most people definitely feel pressure on the chest, and that can be difficult to breathe. and if you feel that for the first time when you go to space and you have no idea what's happening to you, that can be quite intimidating. so getting familiar with these forces in a controlled setting is actually a nice way to train people. it was for us the first time that we actually had an amputee in the centrifuge. in this setup, they're basically lying on their back in a sort of seated position on their back. and so, this influences the blood flow also in the leg.

and we were also curious to see how that would affect him. but it went really well. so that's really good news. hello, john. hello. welcome back to earth. thank you very much. i think probably felt more pressure than i was expecting, i guess. you know, until you've done it before, you never really know. yeah, it was brilliant. i can imagine how useful it is in terms of preparedness. having this opportunity to familiarise yourself with the centrifuge. so definitely an awesome preparatory opportunity. i didn't actually notice my right leg at all throughout the whole thing. it was probably the most comfortable part of me throughout the whole process. so, yeah, the sockets, no comfort problems whatsoever. so that's really good to know for the flight study. so, what's in here, john? well, this is one of the crew quarters. john's about halfway through the project now, and there are still many questions to be answered, but it's progressing well

so far. this is a sleeping bag. it's velcro? yeah, you get yourself in your sleeping bag and you actually velcro yourself to the wall so that you don't float around too much when you're sleeping. it's not guaranteed that you will go to space. but does this make you want to do it? every time you go and get close to something that's more akin to operational, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you're, like, this is what it's about. so, in answer to your question, absolutely. i'm hugely excited about going to space. so, you will do an orbit in 91 minutes... - his family are sure john will succeed. john is so capable of it, and i think he's so right for the role. his skill set, i think he's able to really shape and help with the study and show what's possible, and i think then that opens up to other people with other disabilities

and, you know, everybody should go for their dream. woo—hoo! look at that! and the european space agency wantsjohn to make it too. i've lost my ball. all the indicationsl that we have so far is that there are no - sure stoppers for people with a disability likej john to fly to space. now, we have not. finalised everything, there is still- some work to do. we are pursuing that work. and i would really love i to see john fly to space. for now, john's training will continue. but the world is watching his progress, because this is a project that could change people's perceptions aboutjust who can become an astronaut, with the potential of truly opening up space. i'd like to think that it will broaden their horizons and their knowledge of what someone with a physical disability is capable of as well. but i also hope that

they see me just as asjohn, which i'm sure they will, because i am justjohn. i'm not going to be a para astronaut. i want to be an astronaut, and i happen to have a physical disability. and this is the the message that we are trying to deliver. hello, there. looking at thursday's weather, we've got some, i think, wet weather on the way to parts of england and wales with some thundery rain at times. on wednesday, here's the day of sunny spells and passing showers. some of those showers, mind you, were very heavy, for example, here in hebden bridge. but looking at the satellite picture, you can see a stripe of cloud just here, that's a weather front

that stretches all the way into europe. there's our fronts. but bumping into that front, we've got this trough here, this line of very intense showers. you might get the sense that these areas of rain are merging together. well, i think that's exactly what's going on. and they will tend to run towards england over the coming hours. so weather—wise, over the next few hours, not so much of an issue. we'll have some low cloud effects, some of our north sea coast, a few mist and fog patches here and occasional spots of rain or drizzle. drier weather elsewhere with temperatures around 10 or 11 degrees quite widely. the problems with the forecast come tomorrow. i think there is a risk of seeing more widespread rain initially across eastern areas of england through thursday morning before moving across the midlands and on into parts of wales and the west country as we head into the afternoon. so the details are going to be quite difficult to come by, but expect the chance of seeing some heavy thundery rain at times across parts of england and wales. further northwards for northern ireland, sunshine through the morning and a dry morning. the afternoon, yeah, you could see a storm

or two breaking out. most of scotland, in contrast to all of that, will be dry, although there will be some mist and low cloud across eastern areas and spots of drizzle through the morning, the afternoon, the best of the sunshine into the northwest, and that's where we'll see temperatures at their highest, probably reaching around 23 degrees or so. heading into friday, the weather pattern is still rather unsettled, but hopefully a bit more straightforward. it should be a day of sunshine and showers through the afternoon for england and wales. some of those turning heavy and thundery. the drier weather will be further north again for scotland and for northern ireland, where most places will keep spells of sunshine and temperatures well into the low 20s. that's going to feel pleasant with light winds for the weekend weather picture, we're still at low pressure close to the south of the uk, a ridge of high pressure trying to build in from the northwest. and so, it's again scotland and northern ireland that will have the driest weather through the weekend. england and wales, meanwhile, will have the chance of seeing

a few more showers to come. bye for now.

live from washington, this is bbc news. slovakia's prime minister is no longer in a life—threatening condition after he was shot in an assassination attempt, an aide tells the bbc.

ukraine's president cancels foreign travel to help his country respond to advancing russian troops in the east. president biden and donald trump agree to a series of presidential debates, the first in just a month and before their parties' conventions. hello, i'm sumi somaskanda. officials from the slovak government say prime minister robert fico is expected to survive after he was shot in an assassination attempt on wednesday. speaking to bbc news hour, here's deputy prime minister tomas taraba. fortunately as far as i know, the operation went well and i guess that means he'll survive. at the moment the state of operation should mean that he is not in a life—threatening situation. the attack took place in the central town of handlova. 0ur correspondent bethany bell is in the capital bratislava with more on the suspect

and how the attack unfolded.