For the first time in 11 years, the European Space Agency (ESA) is actively recruiting new astronauts, including for the first time in human history, a physically disabled team member.
Applications for aspiring astro- and para-nauts will open on March 31 for a period of eight weeks, after which the six-stage selection process will begin.
“We did not evolve to go to space so when it comes to space travel, we are all disabled,” said Captain Samantha Cristoforetti, an Italian European Space Agency astronaut.
Candidates are required to have knowledge of or a degree in at least one of the following: physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, engineering or medicine.
The agency is also opening applications to the physically disabled who meet the expertise requirements, including those who have single or double foot or leg deficiency, and persons of short stature (<130 cm). The move was widely feted and championed across Twitter this week.
However progressive the move may have been for many, some are never happy it seems, with the extremely woke brigade seizing the opportunity to point out the shortcomings of the initiative, namely, that only the physically and not the mentally disabled could apply.
Others took the opportunity to highlight structural discrimination in the education system which precludes many already disadvantaged children from ever realizing their dreams of becoming astronauts.
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