Blue Origin will make history by sending the first person who uses a wheelchair beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space located 62 miles above Earth, on its next mission, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Blue Origin. On December 18, 2025, a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket will carry Michaela “Michi” Benthaus, an aerospace and mechatronics engineer at the European Space Agency who suffered a spinal cord injury in a mountain biking accident, along with five other crew members, on a journey past the Kármán line. The New Shepard spacecraft are fully reusable, allowing for reduced maintenance costs and lower environmental impact between flights.
This NS-37 mission marks Blue Origin’s 16th human spaceflight, following 86 passengers — including 80 unique individuals — who have previously crossed the Kármán line. Benthaus, who has devoted her career to advancing interplanetary exploration, has also advocated for increased accessibility in space travel since her 2018 accident. She previously participated in a Zero-G research flight in 2022, known as the “Vomit Comet,” and completed an analog astronaut mission simulating space activities on Earth. She continues to practice sports, including wheelchair tennis, outside of her professional work.
The full NS-37 crew includes Joey Hyde, Hans Koenigsmann, Neal Milch, Adonis Pouroulis, and Jason Stansell. Joey Hyde is a physicist and retired hedge fund partner from Florida whose interest in space began in 1988 during a visit to the Space Shuttle Atlantis launch at Kennedy Space Center, later earning a Ph.D. in Astrophysics. Hans Koenigsmann, a German-American aerospace engineer, played a key role in developing reusable spacecraft at SpaceX and continues to advise aerospace companies, including Blue Origin. Neal Milch is a business executive and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Jackson Laboratory, promoting genetic research for human health. Adonis Pouroulis, a mining engineer and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience, leads companies such as Pella Resources and Chariot Limited focused on energy innovation. Jason Stansell, a space enthusiast from West Texas with a computer science degree from Tulane University, dedicates his flight to his late brother Kevin, who passed away from brain cancer in 2016.
Unlike recent orbital missions by SpaceX or NASA, New Shepard flights are suborbital, designed to provide brief spaceflight experiences. During the 10 to 12-minute flight, the crew will experience several minutes of microgravity before returning safely to Earth. The launch is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas.
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