First Person In A Wheelchair Reaches Space With Blue Origin’s New Shepard Mission

As the New Shepard spacecraft soared into the sky, a profound moment in the history of space exploration unfolded. On December 20, Blue Origin’s suborbital mission, NS-37, carried six individuals, including Michaela “Michi” Benthaus, a German engineer at the European Space Agency, who became the first person to use a wheelchair to travel to space.

According to SpaceNews, this milestone marked a significant step towards inclusivity in space travel. The New Shepard spacecraft lifted off from Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:15 a. m. Eastern, reaching a peak altitude of approximately 106 kilometers before landing just over 10 minutes later. Benthaus’s journey to space was made possible by Hans Koenigsmann, a veteran of SpaceX, who had spent two decades at the company.

The two had connected on LinkedIn, and Benthaus had asked Koenigsmann about the possibilities of space travel for individuals with disabilities. Koenigsmann’s response was affirmative, and he played a crucial role in arranging Benthaus’s flight. While no modifications were made to the New Shepard vehicle itself, Blue Origin did make adjustments to the ground equipment to accommodate Benthaus’s needs.