this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2025
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Michaela Benthaus from Germany soared 65 miles above the Earth’s surface in 10-minute Blue Origin flight

A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers on Saturday, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while beholding Earth from on high.

Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus became the first wheelchair user in space, launching from west Texas with Jeff Bezos’s company Blue Origin. She was accompanied by a retired SpaceX executive also born in Germany, Hans Koenigsmann, who helped organize and, along with Blue Origin, sponsored her trip. Their ticket prices were not divulged.

An ecstatic Benthaus said she laughed all the way up – the capsule soared more than 65 miles (105km) – and tried to turn upside down once in space.

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[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 62 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

A 10-minute tourist flight to the edge of space makes you an astronaut in the same way a ferry ride makes you a sailor or visiting a hotel high in the Swiss Alps makes you a mountaineer.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 50 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

space tourists are not ASTRONAUTs, astronauts are professionals that have actual work to do. theres a real reason why they have to go through extensive training and medical testing to even qualify.

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And next you are telling me that you don't become a sailor by going on a cruise! Ridiculous! /s

[–] Pissmidget@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Ahoy fellow seafarer!

Look, ever since I took that cross Canada passenger flight I've constantly bragged about my aeronautical skill.

Kept my seatbelt on when the light was lit: AERONAUGHT!

Don't take this away from me!

[–] eleitl@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago

I suggest we start calling them asstronauts.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I want to downvote it cuz Bezos. Don't want to because good feelings for this person.

Also you literally don't need legs in space. This person should be considered for the full ride.

[–] nagaram@startrek.website 3 points 1 week ago

That's why bezos keeps doing it.

"I'm testing the billionaire space tour bus with teachers, children, disabled folks with a story so YOU don't wish my rockets explode and then someone can write an inspirational article about Katy Perry going to space on girl power or something"

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

Bezos ad = downvote.

[–] diabetic_porcupine@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They’ll let anyone be an astronaut these days

[–] tidderuuf@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Except plebs. They need to keep working.

[–] eleitl@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week ago

Suborbital hops shouldn't count as space, even if crossing the Karman line. Orbital and atmospheric reentry is a whole different energy and design space.

[–] solrize@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago

Christopher Pike?

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago