Watch: Engineer becomes first wheelchair user to go to space
Moment first wheelchair user in space lands back on Earth
- Michaela Benthaus, an engineer, became the first wheelchair user to travel to space on Saturday, 20 December 2025.
- Benthaus was one of six passengers on a 10-minute space-skimming flight launched from West Texas by Jeff Bezos' company, Blue Origin.
- The autonomous New Shepard capsule, designed with accessibility in mind, required only minor adjustments to accommodate Benthaus.
- Benthaus, who was severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, said she laughed all the way up and tried to turn upside down once in space, adding, “It was the coolest experience.”
- Blue Origin, founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos in 2000, commenced its passenger spaceflights in 2021.