Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, a German aeronautical engineer from the European Space Agency, is set to become the first person to use a wheelchair to travel into space.
Benthaus suffered a spinal cord injury in a mountain bike accident in 2018, but continued her work in aviation and advocating for better access to space.
“I could be the first – but not the last”: Benthaus
Benthaus announced the milestone on Instagram, writing, “I’M GOING INTO SPACE! I’m beyond excited to share that I’ll be flying into space on a future flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.”
Benthaus said she thought her dream of space travel was over. But she is working with a specialist team to enable a wheelchair user to take part in a suborbital flight – a milestone she describes as “an important step because space travel for people with disabilities is still in the very early days”.
Benthaus expressed her hope that her journey would inspire wider accessibility in space travel, writing: “I might be the first – but I don’t intend to be the last.”
Details on Blue Origin’s upcoming launch
Blue Origin’s new Shepard NS-37 is scheduled to lift off Thursday (Dec. 18) from Launch Site One near Van Horn, West Texas. The launch window will open at 8:30 AM CST / 2:30 PM UTC.
A live webcast will be available on the Blue Origin website and X (formerly Twitter) about 40 minutes before launch.
Overview of the New Shepard Rocket
New Shepard is a reusable suborbital rocket developed by Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin for short crewed trips to the edge of space. Each flight takes approximately 11 minutes from takeoff to capsule landing, allowing passengers to experience microgravity and spectacular views of Earth. The rocket operates autonomously without pilots on board.
NS-37 crew members
The six passengers aboard the NS-37 include:
Michaela Benthaus – aeronautical engineer, first wheelchair user in space, advocate for accessibility in space travel.
Joey Hyde – Physicist and hedge fund investor from Florida.
Hans Koenigsmann – German-American aerospace engineer and former CEO of SpaceX.
Neal Milch – Chief Commercial Officer and Chairman of the Board at Jackson Laboratory.
Adonis Pouroulis – Entrepreneur and investor in the natural resources and energy sectors.
Jason Stansell – West Texas adventurer and space enthusiast.
New Shepard launch sequence
During ascent, New Shepard reaches supersonic speeds in excess of 2,000 mph. The booster separates and returns for a vertical landing near the launch pad while the capsule continues to the edge of space. Passengers will experience microgravity before the capsule descends using three large parachutes for a soft landing in the desert.
The difference between New Shepard and New Glenn
New Shepard is a suborbital vehicle for short space trips, while New Glenn is Blue Origin’s 322-foot orbital rocket aimed at long-duration orbital missions and competing with SpaceX. New Glenn recently launched NASA’s ESCAPADE satellite to Mars unmanned.
