Retired SpaceX executive Hans Koenigsmann sponsored her trip with Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin.

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

Esa engineer Michaela Benthaus, 33, is the first person with a disability to launch into space. Photo: Getty Images

A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers 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’ 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 — and tried to turn upside down once in space.

“It was the coolest experience,” she said shortly after landing.

Featured Video

How CoreWeave Bought and Borrowed Its Way to AI Domination

The 10-minute........

© Inc.com