Disability in Space

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses the issue of disability in space. A feminist approach to disability in general is presented. The problematic nature of viewing disability in the cosmos from the perspective of the masculinist ideal of able-bodiedness is discussed, which is not due to the specifics of disability itself, but to the way it is understood through the lens of the able-bodied norm. The chapter also examines whether excluding people with disabilities from participating in space missions can be morally justified in at least some cases. The issue of negative and positive selection in a future base in space, where reproduction would be possible, is also discussed.