Blue Origin sends person in wheelchair to space for the first time.

According to Korrespondent.net: The American aerospace company Blue Origin recently conducted the 37th flight of its New Shepard rocket, which included a crew of six. Among them was a person with a disability using a wheelchair, marking a first in space travel. Footage from the flight has already made its way onto social media.

The NS-37 mission was led by aerospace engineer Mikaela Benthaus, who sustained a spinal cord injury while mountain biking. The rocket crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space, defined at an altitude of over 100 km above the Earth.

“I am happy to show the world that wheelchair users are also capable of making a suborbital flight. And I am very glad that Blue Origin supports this,” Benthaus said a few days before the flight.

In addition to Mikaela Benthaus, the mission also included investor Joel Hyde, aerospace engineer Hans Königsman, entrepreneurs Neil Milch and Adonis Purulis, as well as space research enthusiast Jason Stensell.

See photos: Blue Origin sends person in wheelchair to space for the first time

Space is for everyone. pic.twitter.com/OUs4V2LURA

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) December 20, 2025

Blue Origin performed its first successful launch of the passenger rocket New Shepard in 2021. Since then, the company has been actively conducting flights into space for tourists.

Recall that on November 13, Blue Origin successfully managed to catch the rocket's booster after launch, landing it on a barge 600 km from the launch site.

This flight was significant in many aspects, as it highlights the potential for inclusion in the field of space exploration. The participation of Mikaela Benthaus opens new horizons for people with disabilities, demonstrating that space is accessible to everyone, regardless of physical limitations.