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Wheelchair User Blasts Off: History Made in Space
18 Dec
Summary
- Michaela Benthaus is the first wheelchair user to travel to space.
- A former SpaceX executive facilitated Benthaus' historic flight.
- The flight aims to inspire inclusivity in space exploration.
Michaela Benthaus, an aerospace engineer with the European Space Agency, is set to achieve a historic milestone as the first wheelchair user to travel to space. Her suborbital journey aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, designated NS-37, is scheduled for an upcoming launch from Van Horn, Texas.
The opportunity arose through an encounter with Hans Koenigsmann, a former executive at Blue Origin's competitor, SpaceX. Koenigsmann, learning of Benthaus's unfulfilled dream of spaceflight due to a spinal cord injury, initiated contact with Blue Origin, whose team responded positively to accommodating her needs.
Benthaus's flight aims to demonstrate that space travel can be accessible to individuals with mobility-limiting disabilities, challenging existing doubts and fostering greater inclusivity. She is raising funds for spinal cord injury research through this mission, emphasizing the value and resilience individuals with disabilities can bring to future space endeavors.
