JAKARTA - German aerospace and mechatronics engineer at the European Space Agency Michaela Benthaus (33), has just become the first wheelchair user to ever travel past the Kármán Line - the general limit for outer space located 100 kilometers (62 miles) above sea level.
His historic journey with the Blue Origin New Shepard capsule took off Saturday morning last week, from the company's launch facility near Van Horn, Texas, USA.
The mission, known as NS-37, is the 16th suborbital space tourism launch by Blue Origin, the rocket company funded by Jeff Bezos that was founded in 2000 with the goal of expanding access to space.
"I've always wanted to go to space, but I never really thought of it as something I could actually do," Benthaus told CNN before the flight, as quoted by Wednesday (24/12).
"Maybe space is only for people whose legs are amputated but can still walk a little," said Benthaus, who had thought about it before getting a place on the New Shepard capsule.
"Maybe the spinal injury is too crippling," he added.
Benthaus, a lifelong adventurer, suffered a spinal injury in a mountain biking incident in 2018.
He told CNN that his enthusiasm for space exploration grew from there, as he focused his passion on the engineering and research challenges he could overcome while relying on a wheelchair for mobility.
His flight aboard the New Shepard lasted about 10 minutes, as the rocket fired its engines to propel Benthaus and his five crew members to more than three times the speed of sound and hurtled past the Kármán Line.
New Shepard is designed to offer passengers a few minutes of weightlessness at the top of the flight path, as gravity begins to pull the capsule back to Earth.
Benthaus told CNN in a pre-flight interview that he planned to use a special strap to tie his legs when he got out of his seat to enjoy microgravity and look out the window to enjoy the unique view of Earth.
He noted that he had previously experienced microgravity during a parabolic training flight in the plane. So he hopes to be more interested in enjoying the panoramic view than doing acrobatic movements in the cabin.
Benthaus also intends to use what he learned to improve the experience for future passengers who may be in a similar situation.
After exiting the Blue Origin capsule on Saturday, he noted the tether was working "pretty well."
"I really love the view and the microgravity phase, but I also love all the ascent processes," Benthaus said of his experience.
"It's really cool to feel every stage of the climb," he said.
In addition to offering several weightless minutes, New Shepard can also make passengers experience intense G-forces - including up to 5G during the capsule descent.
He noted that before the flight it was unclear whether he would be able to return to his seat without assistance. Hans Koenigsmann, a former executive at SpaceX and a friend of Benthaus, flew with him and had been trained to provide assistance if needed.
When asked about his experience, Koenigsmann said, "To be honest, I didn't expect it to be that intense. More intense than I thought."
"The movement is slower - slower, but stronger," he said.
As part of his space journey, Benthaus raised funds for the spinal injury research nonprofit Wings for Life.
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