Blue Origin launched a wheelchair user on a suborbital flight for the first time. The New Shepard rocket was launched from the launch site near Van Horn, Texas. Mission NS-37 had six tourists on crew. Among them is European Space Agency aerospace engineer Michaela Benthaus.
In 2018, she had an accident and seriously damaged her spinal cord. Everyone who knew the girl noted that the injury affected her ability to walk, but not her passion for conquering new horizons. In 2022, Michaela took the important step of experiencing weightlessness during a parabolic flight as part of the AstroAccess project. On the plane flying 18 parabolas, the “crew” experienced weightlessness for several moments and was able to perform certain actions in this mode. But the most important thing is that there are people with disabilities on board: 14 participants from 5 countries. They carry out scientific projects grouped in the following areas: “Blind”, “Mobile”, “Deaf” and “Hearing Impaired”.
The current flight is more than a demonstration of Michaela's bravery and human ability in general. Essentially, this is a real-life test of spaceflight, a mission to collect data and test the system's adaptability for future astronauts with disabilities.
Remember: in February 2025, it became known that ESA issued a certificate authorizing long-term space flights to British John McFall, who is preparing to become the first disabled astronaut. This was announced by the director of human and robotic exploration, Daniel Neuenschwander, at a press conference at ESA. At age 19, McFall was involved in a motorcycle accident. Amputation of a leg above the knee. The guy is not broken. Eight years later, he won a bronze medal at the Beijing Paralympic Games in the sprint event. I then trained as a surgeon.
The plan of the same ESA to send a disabled astronaut into space was known several years ago. It was announced that the agency is willing to invest in adapting space equipment to enable disabled professionals to work fully as crew members…
New Shepard's unique flight was the 37th flight of this fully reusable system. The rocket includes an 18-meter single-stage carrier and a pressurized capsule for six people, equipped with an emergency escape system and three parachutes. After the launch vehicle accelerated vertically, the projectile separated at an altitude of 40 km. In 10-12 minutes, the crew will rise above the usual space boundary – the Karman line, located at an altitude of 100 km.
In total, 86 people have visited the edge of space. Some more than once. The exact cost of such pleasure is not disclosed.
By the way
According to the classification of the US Air Force, the boundary of space is located at 80.45 km. This is below the Karman line (100 km), where space flight begins, according to the classification of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Until 2021, participants in suborbital tourist flights are recognized as astronauts. But four years ago, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) passed new regulations for astronaut candidates. In particular, the astronaut must be an employee of the company performing the space launch. Space tourists who only pay to fly into space cannot receive this status. In the United States, the title of astronaut can only be awarded by three government agencies: the Department of Defense, the space agency NASA, and the FAA.
