Michaela “Michi” Benthaus celebrates after a successful mission to space on Saturday aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. She was the first wheelchair user to reach space, according to Blue Origin.
Courtesy of Blue Origin
Kent-based Blue Origin on Saturday marked another successful New Shepard launch of a crew into space, including the first wheelchair user flown above the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, the company said.
Michaela “Michi” Benthaus, an aerospace and mechatronics engineer at the European Space Agency who was involved in a mountain-biking accident in 2018 that injured her spinal cord and impacted her ability to walk, has continued to pursue her passion for access and advocate for greater access to space, Blue Origin said in its crew bio.
Phil Joyce, senior vice president of New Shepard, said in a news post, “This crew exemplifies the breadth and diversity of people who can now experience spaceflight, from engineers and scientists to entrepreneurs, teachers, and investors from all over the world. Each brings their unique perspective and passion for exploration. Michi’s flight is particularly meaningful, demonstrating that space is for everyone, and we are proud to help her achieve this dream.”
The flight from West Texas was New Shepard’s 37th and ninth flight of 2025, Joyce said, noting that it sets the stage for an increased New Shepard flight rate in 2026 and beyond.
Other crew members on NS-37 Saturday were Joey Hyde, Hans Koenigsmann, Neal Milch, Adonis Pouroulis, and Jason Stansell. New Shepard has now flown 92 people into space since the inaugural crewed flight in July 2021 with Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, his brother, Mark, and two others. NS-37 was the 16th flight with passengers aboard.
New Shepard was designed with accessibility in mind, according to Blue Origin, adding that the vehicle is autonomous and features elevator access on the launch tower, making spaceflight accessible to a wider range of people. Including Saturday’s flight, New Shepard has flown passengers who are wheelchair users, hard of hearing, have limited mobility or limb differences, have low vision, or are legally blind, Blue Origin said.
Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, New Shepard is Blue Origin’s reusable, autonomous suborbital rocket system built to fly humans and scientific payloads to space. The rocket is powered by one BE-3PM engine, which is fueled by a combination of liquid hydrogen and oxygen, with the only byproduct of New Shepard’s engine combustion being water vapor. There are no carbon emissions, according to Blue Origin, which is a major player in South Sound’s growing space sector.