Michaela Benthaus, an ESA engineer, is set to become the first wheelchair user to travel to space aboard a Blue Origin rocket, thanks to the collaboration of a former SpaceX executive.
A Blue Origin rocket is poised to launch with an extraordinary passenger, marking a historic moment made possible through the collaboration of a former high-profile executive from the company's main rival. Michaela Benthaus, an aerospace and mechatronics engineer at the European Space Agency, will embark on mission NS-37, becoming the first wheelchair user to journey to space.
This groundbreaking opportunity emerged from a chance encounter between Benthaus and Hans Koenigsmann, a former executive at SpaceX, Blue Origin's principal competitor. Both Benthaus and Koenigsmann share German heritage, and during a conversation at an event in Munich last year, Benthaus expressed her dream of experiencing spaceflight, despite a spinal cord injury that had rendered her unable to walk. Koenigsmann then initiated efforts to make this dream a reality.\Koenigsmann recounted that Benthaus initially expressed interest in a suborbital flight. While SpaceX offers expensive trips to Earth orbit, Blue Origin provides shorter suborbital excursions. Koenigsmann contacted his former rival, and Blue Origin responded favorably. Koenigsmann and Benthaus will be part of a team of six passengers aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. Previous flights have carried over 80 individuals, including Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, singer Katy Perry, and actor William Shatner, on approximately 10-minute journeys to the edge of space, surpassing the Kármán Line, a common boundary of space located 100 kilometers above sea level. Benthaus expressed her initial surprise and disbelief when Koenigsmann informed her of Blue Origin's enthusiasm for the mission. She always wanted to go to space, but never thought it would be possible. The crew was initially scheduled to launch from Blue Origin's facilities near Van Horn, Texas, as early as Thursday, but the company delayed the launch due to an unspecified issue with built-in checks, without providing a new launch date.\During the suborbital flight, Koenigsmann will serve as Benthaus' companion, ready to assist her as needed. Benthaus anticipates being able to perform many flight operations independently. She can enter and exit the 15-foot-wide New Shepard capsule using a small bench. Benthaus plans to use a strap to secure her legs to prevent them from spreading during the brief period of weightlessness, which typically lasts three to four minutes, as passengers briefly experience zero gravity. She aims to return to her seat without assistance, though Koenigsmann is prepared to help. Koenigsmann will also assist Benthaus in emergency situations requiring a rapid exit from the spacecraft. Benthaus acknowledged Blue Origin's thorough preparations, noting that she and Koenigsmann had visited the company's Texas facilities twice to arrange specific accommodations for the flight. Advocates have emphasized that space travel is an excellent adventure for people with disabilities, since weightlessness eliminates gravity's limitations on movement. While no one with a mobility-limiting disability has previously traveled to space, several encouraging advancements have occurred in recent years, including Hayley Arceneaux, a cancer survivor with a titanium leg prosthesis, who completed a three-day orbital mission in 2021. This year, John McFall, a Paralympian with a prosthetic leg and an employee of the European Space Agency, received medical clearance to fly to the International Space Station, though he has not yet made the journey. Benthaus had some doubts whether her condition would prevent her from reaching space but when she goes to space, her achievement may quash similar doubts from others. However, Benthaus says that space trips for people like her may be years off. Benthaus also acknowledges that these accommodations may not always be feasible
Blue Origin Space Travel Disability Wheelchair Suborbital Flight
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Watch Blue Origin launch 1st wheelchair user to space on Dec. 18Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, 'Out There,' was published on Nov. 13, 2018.
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