On Saturday, December 20, 2025, German aerospace and mechatronics engineer Michaela Benthaus became the first wheelchair user to cross the Kármán line on a Blue Origin New Shepard flight. 🚀
Benthaus, who uses a wheelchair after a mountain biking accident, blasted off from West Texas at 8:15 a.m. local time. During the 10-minute suborbital ride, she reached over 100 km above Earth – the internationally recognized edge of space.
"After my accident, I really, really figured out how inaccessible our world still is," Benthaus shared in a video released by the company. "If we want to be an inclusive society, we should be inclusive in every part, and not only in the parts we like to be." ❤️
The automated rocket lifted off vertically, detached its capsule mid-flight, and parachuted the crew safely back to the desert floor, highlighting how tech can open doors even beyond our planet.
This milestone is more than a space selfie; it's a call for greater accessibility everywhere – from smart city ramps in Mumbai to inclusive design labs in Jakarta. It shows that when barriers fall, we all rise. 🌏✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
