A German aerospace engineer could become the first person who uses a wheelchair to reach space when Blue Origin’s next human spaceflight gets off the ground from West Texas.
Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, an aerospace engineer at the European Space Agency, is among six passengers selected to ride on the New Shepard rocket’s 37th spaceflight, scheduled to launch in a matter of days. Benthaus has used a wheelchair since 2018 when she suffered a spinal cord injury in a mountain biking accident.
New Shepard is the spacecraft that billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has developed for suborbital missions, most of which since 2021 have carried a crew on short trips above Earth’s atmosphere.
Once the gum drop-shaped capsule atop the spacecraft reaches the edge of space, passengers on board are treated to a few minutes of stunning cosmic views and the feeling of weightlessness. The voyage is one that multiple celebrities have taken over the years, including in April when pop star Katy Perry and CBS News’ Gayle King were part of an all-woman crew.
After announcing the names of the passengers on the latest mission at the beginning of December, Blue Origin has since revealed the target date for launch.
Here’s everything to know about Blue Origin’s next New Shepard mission, known as NS-37 – the vehicle’s 16th human spaceflight and 37th overall.
When is the next Blue Origin rocket launch in Texas?
Blue Origin is working toward a Thursday, Dec. 18, launch of its New Shepard rocket, with the spacecraft targeted to get off the ground at 8:30 a.m. CT, the company announced.
Where are Blue Origin launches?
Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches take place from the company’s private ranch facility known as Launch Site One in Texas, located more than 140 miles east of El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border.
1st wheelchair user could reach space on next Blue Origin rocket launch
Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, an aerospace engineer at the European Space Agency, is set to become the first person who uses a wheelchair to reach space on the mission.
In 2018, Benthaus injured her spine in a mountain biking accident that made her unable to walk, according to Blue Origin.
“Undeterred, she has continued to pursue her passion for access and advocate for greater access to space,” Blue Origin said in a Dec. 3 press release, stating that Benthaus flew in a 2022 zero gravity mission. “She continues to pursue sporting activities outside of work, including wheelchair tennis.”
Who is the crew of the next Blue Origin mission?
When the New Shepard gets off the ground again, the six people selected to board it will join 80 others who have flown on the spacecraft across 15 previous human spaceflights, including six repeat passengers.
In addition to Benthaus, here’s a look at the other five passengers selected for a mission known as NS-37:
Does Jeff Bezos own Blue Origin?
Billionaire Jeff Bezos, best known for founding Amazon, founded the private space technology company Blue Origin in 2000. Headquartered in Washington state, Blue Origin conducts tests and launches of its small New Shepard spacecraft from West Texas.
Bezos even boarded Blue Origin’s New Shepard for its maiden crewed voyage in July 2021, which came after the spacecraft flew on 15 flight tests beginning in 2012.
What is New Glenn?
The smaller, suborbital New Shepard vehicle is not to be confused with Blue Origin’s towering orbital New Glenn rocket that has now launched twice from Florida. The 322-foot spacecraft, one of the largest active rockets in the world, last got off the ground Nov. 13 on a mission to propel twin NASA ESCAPADE satellites on a voyage to Mars.
While New Shepard is designed for quick trips to space, New Glenn is indicative of Blue Origin’s aim to compete with billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX – whose fleet of Falcon 9 rockets dominates the commercial space industry.
What happens during a New Shepard rocket launch?
Each spaceflight on a New Shepard vehicle lasts about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown.
Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, the 60-foot-tall New Shepard rocket is topped with the gum drop-shaped crew capsule. The spacecraft operates completely autonomously, meaning no pilots are aboard.
During its ascent, the spacecraft reaches supersonic speeds surpassing 2,000 mph before the rocket booster separates from the crew capsule. At that point, the capsule becomes weightless as the spacecraft continues toward its highest point on its brief voyage above the Kármán Line – the 62-mile-high internationally recognized boundary of space.
Passengers will at this time experience a few minutes of microgravity after they unstrap themselves from their seats to gaze out the capsule’s large windows and take in a stunning view of Earth.
Meanwhile, the rocket booster heads back to the ground while firing its engines and using its fins to slow and control its descent to land vertical about two miles from the launchpad.
The capsule itself eventually begins what Blue Origin refers to as a “stable freefall” – plummeting back to Earth as three massive parachutes deploy and the capsule makes a soft landing in the desert, sending up plumes of dust.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: German woman could become 1st wheelchair user to reach space with Blue Origin
Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK / El Paso Times
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