First Wheelchair User Reaches Space Aboard Blue Origin Capsule

Michaela Benthaus, a 33-year-old German aerospace and mechatronics engineer, made history on Saturday as the first wheelchair user to travel past the Kármán Line, aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard capsule. The milestone flight, which took place near Van Horn, Texas, marked a significant step towards making space accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Benthaus, part of the European Space Agency’s graduate trainee program in the Netherlands, had initially thought that going on a spaceflight would be an unattainable goal due to her disability. However, with Blue Origin’s accommodations, she was able to leave her wheelchair behind and float in space. The flight required only minor adjustments to accommodate Benthaus, including the addition of a patient transfer board to facilitate her movement between the capsule’s hatch and her seat.

The recovery team also took measures to ensure her safe and easy access to her wheelchair upon landing, unrolling a carpet on the desert floor. Benthaus’s determination to do as much as possible by herself was evident in her preparation for the flight. She utilized an elevator already in place at the launch pad to ascend the seven stories to the capsule perched atop the rocket.