US EditionBlue Origin Launches Wheelchair-User and 5 Others on Sub-Orbital Trip to Space
- Blue Origin launched NS-37 Saturday, carrying Michaela Benthaus beyond the Kármán Line in New Shepard from Van Horn, West Texas, making her the first wheelchair user in suborbital spaceflight.
- Seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus was left paraplegic by a mountain-biking accident, and last year retired SpaceX executive Hans Koenigsmann approached her to join a private mission.
- Blue Origin added a patient transfer board, an elevator to the capsule , and a recovery carpet, with Hans Koenigsmann designated to assist during the 10-minute flight.
- Blue Origin's roster rose to 86, and Michaela Benthaus said she aims to improve accessibility improvements on Earth and spacecraft through her experience.
- There is little history of people with disabilities in space, though Blue Origin previous passengers with limited mobility or sensory impairments and ESA this year cleared John McFall, ESA reserve astronaut for a future ISS flight.
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As the first person in a wheelchair, the German Michaela Benthaus flew into space.The paraplegic space engineer travelled into space on Saturday as a tourist for a few minutes with a rocket from the US company Blue Origin, which belongs to the US multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder of the online giant Amazon.The fully automated launcher of the New Shepard type was launched at 8.15 a.m. (local time, 15.15 a.m. CET) from the space station Van Ho…
Engineer Michaela Benthaus was carried above the Kármán line by a Blue Origin ship.
German engineer becomes first wheelchair user to visit space
German engineer Michaela Benthaus on Saturday became the first person with paraplegia to travel to space. The brief suborbital trip was carried out by US billionaire Jeff Bezos' space tourism company Blue Origin. The Saturday expedition was the 16th crewed flight for the firm. Also on board were former space engineer Hans Königsmann of Germany and four US entrepreneurs. The New Shepard NS-37 launched off from a Bezos property in West Texas at 8:…
Two Germans launched with a rocket from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for a short trip to space
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