In a landmark moment for human spaceflight and inclusivity, a paraplegic engineer from Germany has become the first person to use a wheelchair to travel to space. Michaela Benthaus made history on Saturday, 20 December 2025, soaring aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket from West Texas.
A Dream Realised Through Minor Adjustments
Benthaus, 33, left her wheelchair behind at liftoff to float weightlessly with five other passengers, gazing down at Earth. Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, she had previously thought a spaceflight was an impossible dream. "I never really thought that going on a spaceflight would be a real option for me," she told The Associated Press before the flight, noting the competitive nature of astronaut selection even for able-bodied individuals.
The ten-minute, space-skimming journey required surprisingly few modifications, according to Blue Origin. The company stated its autonomous capsule was designed with accessibility in mind from the outset. Jake Mills, a Blue Origin engineer who trained the crew, said this design philosophy makes it "more accessible to a wider range of people than traditional spaceflight."
Key accommodations for Benthaus included:
- A patient transfer board to help her move between the capsule's hatch and her seat.
- An existing elevator at the launch pad to ascend the seven stories to the capsule.
- A carpet laid by the recovery team on the desert floor after touchdown, providing immediate access to her wheelchair.
Collaboration and a Personal Mission
Benthaus was accompanied and supported by retired SpaceX executive Hans Koenigsmann, also born in Germany. Koenigsmann helped organise and, alongside Blue Origin, sponsored her trip. He was designated as her emergency helper and assisted her out of the capsule after landing.
This was a private mission with no involvement from the European Space Agency (ESA), where Benthaus is part of a graduate trainee programme in the Netherlands. The ESA has separately cleared British reserve astronaut and amputee John McFall for a future International Space Station mission.
Benthaus prepared meticulously, having experienced weightlessness on a parabolic flight in 2022 and participating in a two-week simulated space mission in Poland. When Koenigsmann first approached her about the Blue Origin opportunity, she thought there was a misunderstanding. There wasn't, and she immediately signed on.
A Catalyst for Change on Earth and Beyond
Benthaus was adamant about performing as many tasks independently as possible. Her goal extends far beyond a personal triumph. She aims to make space accessible to disabled individuals and to use the visibility of her flight to improve accessibility standards on Earth.
"I really hope it's opening up for people like me, like I hope I'm only the start," she said. While she receives positive feedback within the space community, she notes that outsiders aren't always as inclusive. Her mission serves as a powerful demonstration of what is possible with thoughtful design.
The flight, which included other business executives and investors, brought Blue Origin's total number of space travellers to 86. The company, founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos in 2000, continues its broader space ambitions, including lunar lander development.
