The Right to Float: Reframing Disability as a Catalyst for Inclusive Design and Author Contributions Sustainable Development Goal Achievement in Commercial Spaceflight

For six decades, human spaceflight has largely been shaped by stringent medical and operational eligibility criteria. However, the commercialization of low Earth orbit and the broader ethos of the New Space era invite a reexamination of who space systems are designed for. This Perspective argues that disability inclusion in commercial spaceflight should be treated not only as a matter of equity but also as a driver of safer and more adaptable design. Drawing on the Social Model of Disability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we suggest that in some intravehicular microgravity contexts, certain terrestrial impairments may become less limiting, while also emphasizing that launch, landing, emergency egress, and mission duration remain major constraints. We further argue that design features developed for users at the margins—such as multisensory cues, simplified controls, and adaptable interfaces—can produce broader safety and usability benefits across commercial crews. This is not an argument that all disabilities can already be accommodated across all mission profiles. Rather, it is a case for staged, mission-specific inclusion under clearly defined safety conditions. Framed in this way, disability becomes a serious design lens through which commercial spaceflight can broaden participation, strengthen resilience, and align more credibly with the principle that space should benefit all humanity.