Engineer Michaela Benthaus Becomes First Paraplegic Person to Reach Space

Engineer Michaela Benthaus, a 33-year-old German national affiliated with the European Space Agency (ESA), achieved a significant milestone on Saturday, December 20, 2025, by becoming the first person paralyzed below the waist to travel to space. The historic suborbital mission, designated New Shepard NS-37, was conducted by the American commercial spaceflight company Blue Origin from its Launch Site One in West Texas. Benthaus, who has used a wheelchair since a spinal cord injury sustained during a mountain biking accident in 2018, successfully crossed the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space set at approximately 65 miles or 105 kilometers above Earth.

The flight constituted a brief yet momentous journey, lasting between 10 and 11 minutes in total. During this period, Benthaus and the five other passengers experienced several minutes of weightlessness while observing the Earth from the edge of space. The NS-37 mission marked Blue Origin's 16th crewed flight and the ninth New Shepard launch of 2025, indicating an increasing operational tempo for the commercial space program. The mission highlighted a notable shift toward greater inclusion in human space exploration, a concept Benthaus has actively promoted, noting the historical lack of precedent for individuals with disabilities flying to space.

Blue Origin implemented minor, yet essential, accessibility accommodations for the flight, demonstrating a commitment to inclusive design. These adjustments included installing a patient transfer board to facilitate movement between the wheelchair and the capsule seat, and laying down a carpet on the desert floor post-landing to ensure easier wheelchair access upon return. The New Shepard capsule itself possessed inherent accessibility features that required only these minor modifications for Benthaus's journey. Furthermore, an elevator was already in place at the launch pad to assist with the ascent to the capsule perched atop the rocket.

Among the other five passengers aboard the flight were Hans Koenigsmann, a retired SpaceX executive who helped organize and sponsor the trip, and Joey Hyde, an astrophysicist. Koenigsmann, who spent nearly two decades at SpaceX, connected with Benthaus after meeting her at an event in Munich the previous year, which initiated his exploration of the flight possibility with Blue Origin. Benthaus, who resides in the Netherlands and studies Mars' atmosphere as an ESA graduate trainee, had previously gained microgravity simulation experience through 18 parabolic flights with organizations such as AstroAccess.

Following the successful landing, Benthaus expressed profound satisfaction, describing the experience as the realization of a long-held dream. Her stated intention is to leverage this milestone to advocate for broader accessibility improvements on Earth, emphasizing that physical limitations should not impede aspirations. The flight was also linked to charitable efforts, with Benthaus raising funds for spinal cord injury research through the nonprofit Wings for Life. Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President of New Shepard, stated that the crew exemplified the diversity Blue Origin aims to bring to spaceflight, noting that Benthaus's flight specifically demonstrates that space is intended for everyone.