A German engineer just became the first person to travel to space using a wheelchair. Michaela Benthaus, who works for the European Space Agency, reached out online to a retired SpaceX manager named Hans Koenigsmann after a biking accident left her with a spinal cord injury. He helped arrange her flight with Jeff Bezos's company, Blue Origin.
Benthaus launched from Texas on the New Shepard rocket with five other people, crossing the Karman line boundary of space for about ten minutes. She transferred herself from her chair into the capsule using a special bench. Koenigsmann flew alongside to provide any needed assistance. Benthaus called the experience incredibly cool, praising both the view and the sensation of microgravity.
Blue Origin added ground equipment to accommodate her entry and exit, with a company executive stating the flight proved space access is for everyone. This was the company's sixteenth tourist launch, though the ticket price was not disclosed. The mission highlights the ongoing competition among private firms in the space tourism sector, following other high-profile passenger flights this year.
Benthaus launched from Texas on the New Shepard rocket with five other people, crossing the Karman line boundary of space for about ten minutes. She transferred herself from her chair into the capsule using a special bench. Koenigsmann flew alongside to provide any needed assistance. Benthaus called the experience incredibly cool, praising both the view and the sensation of microgravity.
Blue Origin added ground equipment to accommodate her entry and exit, with a company executive stating the flight proved space access is for everyone. This was the company's sixteenth tourist launch, though the ticket price was not disclosed. The mission highlights the ongoing competition among private firms in the space tourism sector, following other high-profile passenger flights this year.
