33-year-old Michaela Benthaus, an engineer at the European Space Agency (ESA), is preparing to make history as the first wheelchair-bound astronaut to participate in a space mission. Thanks to the New Shepard rocket from Blue Origin, the company founded by Jeff Bezos, Michaela will fly on a suborbital mission that will change the definition of “astronaut” forever.
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From tragedy to relaunch
His path was not easy. In 2018, a serious accident while downhill riding caused a permanent injury, forcing her to use a wheelchair. He was only 26 years old and had a college career in full swing. Instead of stopping, Michaela transformed her disability into an engine of rebirth.
After graduating in mechatronics, he completed a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, paving the way for a career within ESA. He could no longer run, but he could still dream and so from that dream was born a life and research project that today inspires millions of people.
Inclusion engineering
Bringing a person in a wheelchair into space is not just a symbolic challenge, but a technological one. During a parabolic flight in 2022, Michaela and her team studied how to manage weightlessness for those who have no control over their legs. The solution? A belt with velcro supports that allows it to maintain its position without floating. An incredible sensation because, he said, he felt the total freedom of his body, even if he couldn’t move his legs.
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The first, but not the last
In 2024, Benthaus also participated in an analog mission in Poland, simulating life on a Martian base. Psychological and technical training to test resilience, isolation and ability to adapt. Today Michaela is ready for takeoff, even if the official date remains secret.
His message, however, is clear from now on. Even though she will be the first disabled astronaut to fly in space, she doesn’t want to be the last. A powerful invitation to make Space accessible to all and to demonstrate that disability is not and must not be a limit.
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