In a landmark moment for inclusivity beyond Earth, Blue Origin is set to make history by carrying the first wheelchair user to space. The mission, scheduled for December 18, will see German aerospace engineer Michaela Benthaus embark on an 11-minute suborbital journey, marking a significant leap towards accessible space travel.
Michaela Benthaus: Pioneering Engineer and Advocate
Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, an engineer with the European Space Agency, will be the trailblazer on this flight. Her dream of spaceflight faced a challenge after a spinal cord injury from a mountain biking accident in 2018. However, she continued her work in aerospace and advocacy, determined to open the final frontier for everyone.
Announcing the news on Instagram, Benthaus wrote with palpable excitement about her upcoming journey. She highlighted the collaborative effort with a dedicated team to adapt the New Shepard capsule for a wheelchair user. "This is an important step since space travel for people with disabilities is still in its very early days," she stated. Her powerful message, "I might be the first—but have no intention of being the last," resonates as a call for broader accessibility in the burgeoning space tourism industry.
NS-37 Launch Details and Crew Manifest
The historic flight aboard the New Shepard NS-37 vehicle is set for Thursday, December 18. Lift-off will occur from Launch Site One near Van Horn, West Texas. The launch window opens at 8:30 AM CST (14:30 UTC).
Space enthusiasts can watch the event live. Blue Origin will provide a live webcast on its official website and X (formerly Twitter) platform, beginning approximately 40 minutes before launch.
The diverse six-passenger crew for this mission includes:
- Michaela Benthaus: Aerospace engineer and accessibility advocate.
- Joey Hyde: A physicist and hedge fund investor from Florida.
- Hans Koenigsmann: A German-American aerospace engineer and former SpaceX executive.
- Neal Milch: Business executive and Chair of the Board at Jackson Laboratory.
- Adonis Pouroulis: Entrepreneur and investor in natural resources.
- Jason Stansell: An adventurer and space enthusiast from West Texas.
The New Shepard Experience and Blue Origin's Vision
The fully autonomous New Shepard rocket is designed for brief, reusable trips to the edge of space. The 11-minute flight profile is intense: after a supersonic ascent, the booster separates and lands vertically. The crew capsule then coasts to its peak altitude, where the six passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth's curvature.
This mission underscores a growing trend of civilian spaceflight, following previous New Shepard flights that carried celebrities like William Shatner and Michael Strahan. It also highlights a critical evolution from mere tourism to inclusive exploration. While New Shepard handles suborbital hops, Blue Origin's larger New Glenn rocket is being developed for orbital missions, recently launching NASA satellites toward Mars.
Michaela Benthaus's journey is more than a personal triumph; it is a powerful symbol. It challenges preconceived notions and paves the way for a future where space is accessible to all, regardless of physical ability. As the countdown to December 18 begins, the world will watch a historic step towards making the final frontier a place for everyone.
