Overview
- The suborbital mission launched from Blue Origin’s West Texas site near Van Horn and crossed the 100-kilometer Kármán line.
- Former SpaceX executive Hans Koenigsmann accompanied Benthaus as her designated emergency aide and helped organize and sponsor the trip.
- Blue Origin added a patient transfer board, used an existing tower elevator, and laid a recovery carpet to speed her return to a wheelchair after landing.
- Company engineer Jake Mills said the autonomous New Shepard capsule was designed with accessibility in mind, requiring only modest changes for this crew.
- Benthaus, injured in a 2018 mountain biking accident, previously trained on a parabolic flight and is using the mission to advocate for inclusive spaceflight and raise funds for Wings for Life.