Blue Origin’s NS-37 Mission Expands Access to Space, Carries Engineer in Wheelchair Beyond Kármán Line
Blue Origin’s NS-37 Mission Expands Access to Space, Carries Engineer in Wheelchair Beyond Kármán Line
Blue Origin’s NS-37 Mission Expands Access to Space, Carries Engineer in Wheelchair Beyond Kármán Line
A Blue Origin New Shepard capsule lifted off from the company’s launch site near Van Horn, Texas, completing its 16th suborbital space tourism mission, NS-37. Founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin designed New Shepard to make short spaceflights accessible to more than professional astronauts, reflecting a broader effort to democratize space travel.
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The mission drew attention for carrying engineer Michi Benthaus, who uses a wheelchair following a spinal cord injury. Speaking to CNN, Benthaus described the flight as a realization of a dream that once seemed impossible. After a 2018 accident, she redirected her passion for adventure into engineering and space research.
The roughly 10-minute journey carried Benthaus and five other crewmates past the Kármán Line at more than three times the speed of sound. Blue Origin emphasized that New Shepard’s autonomous design, elevator access, and barrier-free interior are built to expand accessibility.
The company has previously flown passengers with limited mobility, hearing loss, limb differences, and vision impairments. Officials say NS-37 highlights a future in which spaceflight is increasingly open to people from diverse backgrounds, making the frontier of space a possibility for more than just professional astronauts.
Blue Origin’s NS-37 Mission Expands Access to Space, Carries Engineer in Wheelchair Beyond Kármán Line
