German Aerospace Engineer Michaela (Michi) Benthaus has been using a wheelchair since 2018, when a hiking accident led to a life-changing spinal cord injury. Today, he is a trailblazer in the discovery of human space, and he is about to go where no wheel user can go.
Blue Origin prepares to launch Benthaus and five other Astronauts into an extraterrestrial space aboard New Shepherd’s 37th Flight, making him the first paraplegic to travel beyond Earth. He will be joined by aerospace engineer and former Spacex employee Hans KoenigsSmann, investor Joey Hyde, Entrepreneur Neal Milch, investor Adonis Purepaulis, and Space Nerd “Jason Stansoll.
The new shepherd planes saved 10 to 12 minutes from attack to landing and allowed the team to get a few minutes of equipment. The NS-37 Mission is scheduled to launch from the launch site of West Texas no earlier than 9: 30 AM et next Thursday, December 18. The blue will begin to breathe the event 40 minutes before the lift.
In a LinkedIn post, Benthaus said he was “excited” about the move. “This feels like an important step since space travel for people with disabilities is in its early days. I’m very grateful and it encourages a change in the local mindset, creating more opportunities for people like me.”
Making Spaceflight accessible to all
When it comes to making spaceflight accessible to those with disabilities, there is a lot of work to be done. Traditionally, the stars chosen to receive space vehicles have been highly trained, athletic, and strong. This has led to knowledge gaps surrounding the human factors, operational challenges, and technological limitations that prevent people with disabilities from becoming victims.
In recent years, trained researchers have been trained to investigate these problems and develop ways to help people overcome them. One organization that leads this payment is astroaccess, which bencador became the ambassador of 2022.
The Advocacy group conducts microgravity and analog assona disabled scientists, veterans, students, athletes, and artists to investigate how all spacecraft can be designed so that all Spacecraft people can work and thrive in space. When Benthaus became an ambassador, he participated in a parabolic flight that allowed him to find zero gravity for the first time.
Finding a big milestone
The commercial tourism industry – especially tourism plays an important role in improving the accessibility of the scarf by providing mechanical opportunities to a wide variety of people. Earlier this year, deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) Astrossadors completed Astronaut training in new therapies.
Now that he has completed his training, Benthaus is ready to become the first astroaccess ambassador to join the new shepherd flight. His achievement will help to confirm the lighting techniques available to people with paraplegia and pave the way for future astronomers with this condition.
“I thought my dream of going to space was over forever when I had my accident,” LinKhaus wrote in his post. “I may be the first – but I have no intention of being the last.”
