German engineer becomes first person to travel to space in a wheelchair

 

 

In a breakthrough in space tourism, German engineer Michaela Benthaus has become the first person to travel to space in a wheelchair. She took off from West Texas on Saturday aboard Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft with five passengers.

Seven years ago, Michaela, who had been injured in a mountain biking accident and had paralyzed her legs, left her wheelchair on Earth and experienced weightlessness for a few minutes at an altitude of about 105 kilometers. Former SpaceX executive Hans Königsmann also accompanied her on this historic journey. The 10-minute mission proved that space travel is possible for those with physical challenges. Blue Origin made only minor changes to the spacecraft to help Michaela. A special transfer board was set up to transfer to the seat, and a special carpet was set up in the desert to allow wheelchair access after landing. After landing, Mikhaila enthusiastically described the journey as "the best experience of her life." Through this journey, she is sending a big message to the world that physical limitations are not an obstacle to dreams.