German Engineer First Wheelchair User In Space

History was made this Saturday as Michaela Benthaus became the first person with paraplegia to travel to space. The 33-year-old German engineer completed the historic suborbital trip aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-37, marking a monumental step forward for accessibility in space exploration. Launching from West Texas, the vessel reached an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers during a flight that lasted around 11 minutes, allowing the passengers to experience a brief moment of weightlessness.

Benthaus, who works for the European Space Agency, was accompanied by former space engineer Hans Königsmann and four US entrepreneurs on this sixteenth crewed flight for the firm. Upon returning to Earth, an exuberant Benthaus described the journey as the coolest experience ever, urging others never to give up on their dreams regardless of the probability of success. Having sustained a spinal injury at age 26, she used this global platform to advocate for a more inclusive society, highlighting the need for improved facilities for people with disabilities.