Michaela Benthaus, a paraplegic engineer, became the first wheelchair user to float in space after a Blue Origin suborbital flight from West Texas that lasted about 10 minutes and reached more than 65 miles. She completed extensive training beforehand, including a two-week simulated mission and a parabolic flight. The trip was arranged and sponsored by retired SpaceX executive Hans Koenigsmann and benefited from accessibility features and careful preflight planning. After touchdown, a carpet was unrolled so her wheelchair could be returned immediately.
Michaela Benthaus Becomes First Wheelchair User to Float in Space on Blue Origin Flight
Blue Origin via AP
Michaela Benthaus, a paraplegic engineer, made history as the first wheelchair user to experience weightlessness aboard a Blue Origin suborbital flight. The mission launched from West Texas and, in a roughly 10-minute flight, climbed to more than 65 miles (over 105 kilometers) above Earth.
Benthaus had prepared for the trip with prior training, including a two-week simulated space mission in Poland and a parabolic flight out of Houston that provides short bursts of weightlessness. Still, she said the actual opportunity came as a surprise.
The seat was offered and sponsored by Hans Koenigsmann, a retired SpaceX executive who organized the flight and worked with Benthaus in advance. The Blue Origin capsule used for the mission was designed with a range of accessibility features, and Koenigsmann trained with Benthaus and was designated to assist her if an emergency arose.
“I never really thought that going on a spaceflight would be a real option for me because even as, like, a super healthy person, it's so competitive, right?” Benthaus told the Associated Press. “There is like no history of people with disabilities flying to space.”
The mission went smoothly. When the capsule touched down in the desert, crew members unrolled a carpet so Benthaus could immediately access her wheelchair, which she had left behind at liftoff. The careful planning and on-site support helped ensure her safety and comfort throughout the trip.
Benthaus said she hopes her flight opens doors for others with disabilities and that this milestone will encourage space companies to continue improving accessibility. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
