Space agency names amputee as astronaut

The European Space Agency made history yesterday by selecting an amputee who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident to be among its newest batch of astronauts – a leap toward its pioneering ambition to send someone with a physical disability into space. John McFall, a 41-year-old Briton, called his selection ‘‘a real turning point and mark in history’’. ‘‘ESA has a commitment to send an astronaut with a physical disability into space . . . This is the first time that a space agency has endeavoured to embark on a project like this.’’