German engineer becomes first wheelchair user to go to space as part of latest Blue Origin launch
A paraplegic engineer has today become the first wheelchair user to jet off into space as Blue Origin launched its latest rocket.
Listen to this article
Alongside five other passengers, German Michaela Benthaus entered the stratosphere from West Texas as part of Jeff Bezos’ latest launch.
Ms Benthaus, who was injured in a cycling accident, was joined by retired SpaceX engineer Hans Koenigsmann, who helped sponsor the trip.
The flight, which lasted just 10 minutes, saw Origin’s New Shepard capsule, designed specifically for accessibility, used for the first time.
“I never really thought that going on a spaceflight would be a real option for me because even as like a super healthy person, it’s like so competitive, right?” she told AP ahead of the flight.
Her accident dashed whatever hope she had. “There is like no history of people with disabilities flying to space," she said.
The rocket was fitted with a patient transfer board so she could shift between the capsule’s entrance and her seat.
A carpet was also installed on the desert floor where the rocket touched down, making it easier for her disembark.
This was a private trip for the engineer, with the European Space Agency having no involvement.
It is unknown how much her ticket to the star’s cost.
Perhaps the most high-profile person to make the trip to space this year was singer Katy Perry.
The US pop star surprised fans when she announced she would be part of an all-female astronaut team on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket.
Perry, 41, admitted she was "battered and bruised" following the 11-minute flight, where she was joined by Bezos' partner and journalist Lauren Sanchez, CBS Mornings presenter GayleKing, ex-Nasa rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, astronaut and activist Amanda Nguyen, and movie producer Kerianne Flynn.
Despite the feat, the Firework singer was criticised for her exaggerated actions during and after the flight, including kneeling down to kiss the floor when she arrived back on Earth.
Addressing the trolls, Perry said the online world had tried to make her a "human piñata" and told fans she understood the internet was "a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed."