Blue Origin’s Next Step: A New Era for Space Travelers with Disabilities

Blue Origin has announced plans for the NS-37 mission set to take place on December 18, 2025, where six individuals will embark on a brief suborbital journey. Among the passengers is Michaela (Miki) Benthaus, an engineer from the European Space Agency (ESA), who uses a wheelchair following a spinal injury sustained in a mountain biking accident in 2018. This launch is positioned as a pioneering event opening new possibilities for people with disabilities in the exploration of space.

The NS-37 launch from Blue Origin’s spaceport in West Texas is scheduled for December 18, with a live broadcast beginning approximately 40 minutes prior. The autonomous New Shepard spacecraft, comprising a reusable capsule and booster rocket, will make its 37th flight.

The New Shepard flight lasts between 10 to 12 minutes from launch to capsule landing. Passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness and the chance to view Earth against the backdrop of space. Besides Benthaus, the flight will include investor Joey Hyde, aerospace engineer Hans Koenigsmann, entrepreneur Neil Milch, investor Adonis Purulis, and ‘space enthusiast’ Jason Stancell.

Blue Origin also unveiled the NS-37 mission patch with symbolic significance. DNA symbolizes the importance of science for Neil Milch, a hippopotamus represents Miki Benthaus’s favorite animal (her plush hippo that ‘supported’ her in the hospital after the accident will also fly to space), the baobab symbolizes the South African roots of Adonis Purulis, a spiral galaxy reflects the astrophysical studies of Joey Hyde, while a bone and stars in the capsule windows commemorate Jason Stancell’s brother. Fragments symbolize Blue Origin’s commitment to breaking down barriers to space access, including cost, nationality, and physical abilities.