Blue Origin's NS-37 Set For Historic Launch: 1st Wheelchair User to Reach Space Aboard

In a groundbreaking moment for accessibility in human spaceflight, Blue Origin is targeting December 18 for its NS-37 mission, which will witness an aerospace engineer become the first wheelchair user in space. Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, an engineer from the European Space Agency (ESA), has used a wheelchair since a 2018 spinal cord injury. She will be among the six passengers taking a brief suborbital trip aboard Blue Origin's autonomous New Shepard spacecraft.

The NS-37 mission is scheduled to lift off from the company's West Texas site on December 18. The broadcast starts at 8:50 a.m. EST, leading up to the launch window, which opens at 9:30 a.m. EST (7:30 p.m. IST). This flight marks the 37th overall flight for the reusable New Shepard rocket and crew capsule. The trip is a short but spectacular one, lasting about 10 to 12 minutes from take-off to touchdown, offering passengers a few minutes of weightlessness and stunning views of Earth against the blackness of space.

Crew and Mission Details:

Benthaus will be accompanied by five crewmates: investor Joey Hyde, entrepreneur Neal Milch, investor Adonis Pouroulis, and "space nerd" Jason Stansell. Also on board is aerospace engineer Hans Koenigsmann, recognisable to many space followers as an early SpaceX employee (2002–2021) who notably served as the company's Vice President of Build and Flight Reliability.

• Joey Hyde: Investor and astrophysics researcher (represented by a spiral galaxy on the mission patch).
• Hans Koenigsmann: Aerospace engineer and a recognised name from his time as one of the first employees and a vice president at SpaceX (from 2002 to 2021).
• Neal Milch: Entrepreneur (represented by a DNA symbol).
• Adonis Pouroulis: Investor (represented by a baobab tree).
• Jason Stansell: Self-proclaimed "space nerd" (represented by a dog-bone shape, stars, and "K" in memoriam of his brother).

The official mission patch, released by the Jeff Bezos-founded company, includes personal symbols for each astronaut. For Benthaus, the patch features a hippo (her favourite animal, whose plush version will accompany her) and a tennis ball, symbolising her competitive passions.  A key element of the patch is a depiction of shards, symbolising Blue Origin's commitment to breaking down barriers to space access, including those related to ability.

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