Blue Origin sends first wheelchair user to space aboard New Shepard

Exam-focused facts from the 21 December 2025 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Michaela Benthaus, a European Space Agency engineer, became the world's first wheelchair user to fly to space on a Blue Origin New Shepard sub-orbital mission.
The reusable New Shepard vehicle lifted off from Blue Origin’s Texas launch pad and crossed the Kármán line boundary of space during a 10-minute flight.
Ground support equipment and an extending bench from the capsule hatch were added to enable Benthaus to board independently.