Blue Origin on Tuesday launched its New Shepard rocket on a suborbital space tourism mission from Texas, carrying a wheelchair-using European Space Agency employee, Michaela Benthaus, in a flight that underscored efforts to make space travel more accessible for people with disabilities.
Benthaus, who suffered a spinal cord injury in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, had earlier reached out to a retired space engineer online to ask whether her long-held dream of becoming an astronaut was still possible.
Speaking after landing in a video released by Blue Origin, Benthaus described the journey as an extraordinary experience, saying she enjoyed both the views and the sensation of weightlessness, as well as the ascent itself.
Benthaus said a past accident made her acutely aware of how inaccessible much of the world remains for people with disabilities. During the mission, she independently transferred from her wheelchair into the capsule using a bench extending from the hatch.
The flight was organised with the support of retired SpaceX executive Hans Koenigsmann, who was seated nearby to assist if required. Benthaus said she first connected with Koenigsmann online, asking whether people with disabilities could become astronauts.
Koenigsmann said Benthaus’s determination inspired him to take part in the mission, adding that her drive convinced him to experience spaceflight after observing it from the sidelines for years.
Blue Origin said it added specialised ground support equipment to help Benthaus enter and exit the capsule. Phil Joyce, senior vice-president of New Shepard, said the flight demonstrated that space exploration should be accessible to everyone.
The cost of the mission has not been disclosed. The launch comes as private space companies step up competition in the growing space tourism market, with Blue Origin having already flown dozens of tourists, including several high-profile passengers, into space.
