Historic Flight: Wheelchair User Breaks Space Travel Barriers
Historic Flight
She just became the first wheelchair user to travel to space, marking a milestone for accessibility and exploration inspired by Blue Origin’s NS-37 mission that crossed the Kármán Line and expanded who can claim the stars.
Mission Context and Personal Story
Michi Benthaus, an engineer and advocate, boarded a suborbital crew flight that demonstrated adaptive design and inclusive procedures, showing how vehicle modifications, ground support and training can enable people with diverse mobility needs to fly beyond 100 kilometers while experiencing microgravity and breathtaking Earth views.
Broader Impact
This achievement resonates across STEM, disability rights and commercial space sectors, prompting companies to prioritize universal access, inspiring future travelers and influencing policy and design standards so more people can pursue careers and voyages off Earth with confidence.
About the People Mentioned
Michi Benthaus
Michaela "Michi" Benthaus is a German aerospace and mechatronics engineer at the European Space Agency (ESA), where she focuses on scientific collaboration to advance interplanetary exploration.[1][2] Born in Munich, she earned a bachelor's degree in mechatronics and pursued a master's in aerospace engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), specializing in space and astrophysics.[4][5] A lifelong space enthusiast inspired by Star Wars as a child, Benthaus dreamed of becoming an astronaut.[5] In September 2018, a mountain biking accident left her paraplegic with a spinal cord injury, yet she persisted in her passions, adapting to wheelchair tennis, karting, and space pursuits.[1][4] Post-accident, she interned at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) on satellite flight dynamics and launched a blog to share her journey.[4][5] Her advocacy for disability inclusion in space gained traction through the AstroAccess initiative. In December 2021 (noted as recent in prior contexts), she participated in parabolic "Zero-G" flights in the USA, conducting weightlessness experiments as the only German among international participants, sponsored by OHB SE and TUM supporters.[4][5] She later completed a 2022 Zero-G research flight and an analog astronaut mission simulating space conditions.[1] Benthaus made history as the first wheelchair user to reach space on Blue Origin's NS-37 suborbital mission aboard the New Shepard rocket, crossing the Kármán line (100 km altitude).[1][2][3] Announced December 3, 2025, this 16th crewed flight for Blue Origin—the company's seventh of 2025—carried her with five others, highlighting accessibility in commercial spaceflight.[2] At around 33 years old, she expressed excitement about demonstrating wheelchair users' potential in space, continuing her work and advocacy.[1][3]
About the Organizations Mentioned
Blue Origin
Blue Origin is an American aerospace manufacturer and space technology company founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, headquartered in Kent, Washington. Its mission centers on enabling millions of people to live and work in space to benefit and sustain Earth. The company specializes in developing rocket engines, spacecraft, satellites, and heavy-lift launch vehicles, with a strong emphasis on reusable rocket technology to lower the cost of space access[1][2][6]. Blue Origin is best known for its **New Shepard** suborbital rocket, designed for space tourism and research missions. New Shepard has completed over 30 flights, including crewed missions crossing the Kármán line (100 kilometers above Earth’s surface), the recognized boundary of space. Notably, in April 2025, Blue Origin completed its 11th human spaceflight with an all-female crew, marking a key milestone in inclusivity and operational capability[1]. The company is also developing **New Glenn**, a heavy-lift orbital rocket aimed at competing in the commercial satellite launch market. New Glenn achieved its first successful orbital launch in January 2025, marking Blue Origin's entry into the orbital launch arena[1][2]. Additionally, Blue Origin produces the BE-4 rocket engine, which powers United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket, underscoring its role as a critical supplier in the broader aerospace industry[1]. Beyond rockets, Blue Origin is advancing projects like the **Blue Moon** human lunar lander, contributing to NASA’s Artemis program to return humans to the Moon, and the **Orbital Reef** commercial space station in partnership with other companies[1]. Blue Origin operates launch and testing facilities in Texas and Florida, with recent expansions including a $78 million satellite payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This facility will support up to 16 missions per year and enhance launch capacity in collaboration with the U.S. Space Force and NASA[3][4]. Despite early low-profile operation
