AP
Blue Origin Launch
This image provided by Blue Origin, parachutes deploy to carry the Blue Origin's capsule to the ground after liftoff on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in West Texas.
As featured on
A paraplegic engineer has become the first wheelchair user in space, blasting off with Blue Origin. Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus rocketed away from West Texas on Saturday with Jeff Bezos' company. The German woman shared the 10-minute flight with five others, including a retired SpaceX executive who helped organize and finance her trip for an undisclosed amount. Benthaus says she wanted to savor floating in space while beholding Earth from on high and pushing the boundaries for the disabled.
