Blue Origin to send the first wheelchair user into space

The American aerospace company Blue Origin is the first in the world to send a wheelchair user into space. Mikaela Benthaus, an aerospace engineer at the European Space Agency (ESA), will embark on the flight. She was informed about this on December 18.

"I'm excited to show the world that people in wheelchairs can also fly suborbital, and I'm thrilled that Blue Origin is supporting this," Benthaus told ABC News.

Benthaus said she was looking forward to the flight. In 2018, the engineer suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident and was partially paralyzed. It is reported that after the injury, the engineer advocates for increased access to space. According to the TV channel, the crew of the New Shepard rocket will fly beyond the Pocket line — the boundary of outer space at an altitude of 62 miles above the Earth.

Universal scale: nature-like technologies will help to explore space

The creation of nuclear rocket engines and new materials for flights to other planets was discussed in Moscow.

Science Daily magazine reported on December 3 that each rocket launch sends valuable materials that cannot be recovered into outer space and emits large amounts of greenhouse gases and chemicals that damage the ozone layer. The environmental impact continues long after launch. Most spacecraft and satellites are not recycled, which leads to constant losses of materials.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.