German engineer becomes first wheelchair user to visit space – DW – 12/20/2025
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German engineer Michaela Benthaus, who has paraplegia, traveled to space with Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin.

German engineer Michaela Benthaus, who has paraplegia, traveled to space with Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin.

German engineer Michaela Benthaus on Saturday became the first person with paraplegia to travel to space.

Benthaus, who is 33, was exuberant about her experience in space in comments made after her return to Earth. “It was the coolest experience ever, honestly,” the engineer, who works at the European Space Agency (ESA), said.

Benthaus sustained a spinal injury during a mountain bike accident at the age of 26 and now uses a wheelchair.

  • HazardousBanjo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    2 天前

    And billions could have been saved getting us there if NASA wasn’t hyper-defunded for scam known as the the private space industry.

  • falseWhite@lemmy.worldEnglish
    532·
    2 天前

    Fuck Blue Origin. Fuck Bezos. Fuck this PR article.

    I am happy for the girl, but let’s not pretend this is anything but a PR stunt.

    • ozymandias@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      420·
      2 天前

      paraplegics have some advantages in space… they require less food, take up less space, walking isn’t an issue….
      they’ve done whole studies on this

      • CameronDev@programming.devEnglish
        201·
        2 天前

        Cool, but not at all what is happening here. She spent 30 minute in a suborbital hop. Nothing here is groundbreaking or new, its just a photo-op.

      • zaphod@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        162·
        2 天前

        Walking may not be an issue, but astronauts usually hook into things using their feet to stabilise themselves, can’t do that if you have no control over your legs.

        • yesman@lemmy.worldEnglish
          38·
          2 天前

          This comment is braindead bigotry. It’s like saying a paraplegic can’t be a lawyer because they can’t climb the courthouse steps.

          There has never existed an astronaut that didn’t need significant accommodation to live in work in space (duh), you’re arguing that disabled people don’t deserve the exact same treatment. Fuck you.

          • zaphod@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            6·
            2 天前

            I’m just saying that just because they’re in space their disability doesn’t suddenly disappear. They still need some additional support, because astronauts still use their legs, just not for walking.

          • Typhoon@lemmy.caEnglish
            3·
            2 天前

            It’s like saying a paraplegic can’t be a lawyer because they can’t climb the courthouse steps

            Show me where he said she can’t be an astronaut.