Michaela Benthaus might not seem like a regular astronaut, but that didn’t stop her from being one. The 33-year-old German aerospace and mechatronics engineer at the European Space Agency becomes the first wheelchair user to cross the Kármán Line, the boundary of outer space, which lies 100 kilometers (62 miles) above sea level.
The Blue Origin New Shepard capsule that housed the brave astronaut took flight on Saturday morning, lifting off from the company’s launch facilities near Van Horn, Texas.
Jeff Bezos established Blue Origin in 2000 to give people access to space, even for those who don’t fit the general definition of an astronaut but are interested in heading into outer space. This is their 16th suborbital tourism launch, the mission named NS-37.
Benthaus didn’t imagine that her dream of soaring to space could become a reality. An adventurer at heart, she damaged her spinal cord in a mountain biking accident in 2018. This is when she found a knack for space exploration, her dreams rising high as she focused on engineering and research challenges she could work on while using a wheelchair for mobility.
“Maybe space is for people who have an amputated leg but still can walk a little bit,” Benthaus said she had wondered before securing a seat on a New Shepard capsule. “Maybe having a spinal cord injury is way too disabled.”
Along with five crewmates, Benthaus soared past the Kármán Line at thrice the speed of sound. Her flight lasted 10 minutes, including a few minutes of microgravity and weightlessness. She kept her legs bound with straps and exited her seat to capture a panoramic view of the Earth through the window. The intense G-forces—around 5Gs—during the capsule’s descent are also one of the thrills.
She has already experienced microgravity during a parabolic training flight in an aircraft. Seeing the Blue Planet from outer space appealed to her more than experiencing the joys of flipping and floating in microgravity.
Benthaus praised the straps and is eager to share her experience with people in her condition who aspire to go into space. She was unsure if she would be able to return to her seat after going into flight without assistance. She didn’t have to worry much, as Hans Koenigsmann, a former SpaceX executive and Benthaus’ friend, flew with her and had been trained to assist her.
Michaela’s mission to space wasn’t just to fulfil her dreams; she is also raising money to fund spinal cord injury research through the nonprofit Wings for Life. NASA’s newly sworn-in administrator, Jared Isaacman, has praised the mission. Jared is also the first civilian to perform a spacewalk.
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