Blue Origin’s New Shepard Carried First Wheelchair User to Space During NS-37 Flight
By Space Coast Daily // January 6, 2026
crew represented diverse group of engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and lifelong space advocates
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Blue Origin successfully launched the 37th flight of the New Shepard program last month with crew members Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, Joey Hyde, Hans Koenigsmann, Neal Milch, Adonis Pouroulis, and Jason Stansell.
Together, they represented a diverse group of engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and lifelong space advocates.
This mission marked the first time a wheelchair user had flown above the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. Including this crew, New Shepard has now flown 92 people (86 individuals) into space.
“NS-37 marks our ninth flight of the year and sets the stage for an increase in New Shepard flight rate in 2026 and beyond,” said Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President of New Shepard.
“This crew exemplifies the breadth and diversity of people who can now experience spaceflight, from engineers and scientists to entrepreneurs, teachers, and investors from all over the world. Each brings their unique perspective and passion for exploration. Michi’s flight is particularly meaningful, demonstrating that space is for everyone, and we are proud to help her achieve this dream.”
New Shepard was designed with accessibility in mind. The vehicle is autonomous and features elevator access on the launch tower, making spaceflight accessible to a broader range of people.
Including the NS-37 flight, New Shepard has flown astronauts who are wheelchair users, hard of hearing, have limited mobility or limb differences, have low vision, or are legally blind.
■ Benthaus, an aerospace and mechatronics engineer with the European Space Agency, was widely recognized for her advocacy for accessibility in spaceflight. After sustaining a spinal cord injury in a 2018 mountain biking accident, she continued her work in interplanetary exploration and scientific collaboration, while also competing in wheelchair tennis and participating in parabolic and analog astronaut missions.
■ Hyde, a physicist and former quantitative investor, traced his passion for space back to his childhood witnessing a Space Shuttle launch.
■ Koenigsmann, a veteran aerospace engineer, spent two decades at SpaceX and was known globally for his contributions to reusable launch vehicle development.
■ Milch, a business executive and philanthropist, supported biomedical research and drew inspiration from the early days of NASA’s Gemini and Apollo programs.
■ Pouroulis brought decades of experience in mining, energy, and sustainable resource development, with a career focused on critical minerals and the global energy transition.
■ Stansell, a West Texas native and computer science graduate, dedicated his flight to his late brother and aimed to inspire interest in science, technology, and critical thinking.
The NS-37 mission continued Blue Origin’s cadence of crewed suborbital flights and underscored the company’s commitment to inclusive human spaceflight and public engagement.
New Shepard Astronauts by Mission
NS-36 (October 8, 2025): Franchise industry executive Jeff Elgin; entrepreneur and mountaineer Danna Karagussova; technology leader and NS-22 astronaut Clint Kelly III; businessman Will Lewis; entrepreneur and explorer Aaron Newman; and businessman and real estate investor Vitalii Ostrovsky.
NS-34 (August 3, 2025): Real estate investor Arvi Bahal; Turkish businessman Gökhan Erdem; Puerto Rican meteorologist Deborah Martorell; British teacher Lionel Pitchford; entrepreneur and NS-28 astronaut J.D. Russell; and Tron founder H.E. Justin Sun, who placed the winning bid for the first seat on New Shepard in 2021.
NS-33 (June 29, 2025): Philanthropist Leland (Lee) Larson; conservationist Allie Kuehner and her husband, Carl Kuehner, a real estate developer and conservationist; President and CEO of Commodity Cables Freddie Rescigno, Jr.; lawyer and financial consultant Owolabi Salis; and attorney Jim Sitkin.
NS-32 (May 31, 2025): K-12 STEM teacher Aymette Medina Jorge; radiologist and explorer Dr. Gretchen Green; former Panamanian ambassador to the United States Jaime Alemán; entrepreneur Jesse Williams; aerospace executive Mark Rocket; and entrepreneur Paul Jeris.
NS-31 (April 14, 2025): Entrepreneur and global STEM advocate Aisha Bowe; bioastronautics research scientist and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyễn; CBS Mornings co-host and Oprah Daily editor-at-large Gayle King; global pop superstar Katy Perry; film producer Kerianne Flynn; and New York Times bestselling author, pilot, and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez.
NS-30 (February 25, 2025): Entrepreneur Elaine Hyde; Spanish adventurer and TV host Jesús Calleja; Bess Ventures Founder and NS-19 Astronaut Lane Bess; reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Richard Scott; quantitative researcher Tushar Shah; and an undisclosed sixth crew member.
NS-28 (November 22, 2024): Business professional Austin Litteral; MIT engineer and TV host Emily Calandrelli; Bayshore Capital CEO Henry Wolfond; entrepreneur James (J.D.) Russell; and philanthropists Sharon Hagle and her husband, Marc, who both previously flew on NS-20.
NS-26 (August 29, 2024): Cardiologist Dr. Eiman Jahangir; entrepreneur Ephraim Rabin; entrepreneur Eugene Grin; Orbitelle founder Karsen Kitchen; entrepreneur Nicolina Elrick; and University of Florida Professor Rob Ferl.
NS-25 (May 19, 2024): Retired CPA Carol Schaller; former Air Force Captain and first Black astronaut candidate Ed Dwight; pilot Gopi Thotakura; Family Tree Maker founder Ken Hess; Industrious Ventures investor Mason Angel; and French entrepreneur Sylvain Chiron.
NS-22 (August 4, 2022): Technology leader Clint Kelly III; Dude Perfect cofounder Coby Cotton; Portuguese entrepreneur Mário Ferreira; Egyptian mechanical and biomedical engineer Sara Sabry; telecommunications executive Steve Young; and British-American mountaineer Vanessa O’Brien.
NS-21 (June 4, 2022): Investor and NS-19 Astronaut Evan Dick; pilot and Action Aviation Chairman Hamish Harding; adventurer and Dream Variation Ventures Co-Founder Jaison Robinson; electrical engineer and former NASA test lead Katya Echazarreta; civil production engineer Victor Correa Hespanha; and Insight Equity Founder and explorer Victor Vescovo, Commander, USN (Ret.).
NS-20 (March 31, 2022): New Shepard Chief Architect Gary Lai; president of Commercial Space Technologies, LLC, and former associate administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation Dr. George Nield; entrepreneur and adventurer Jim Kitchen; real estate executive Marc Hagle; executive and investor Marty Allen; and SpaceKids Global Founder Sharon Hagle.
NS-19 (December 11, 2021): Content creator Cameron Bess; space industry executive and philanthropist Dylan Taylor; investor Evan Dick; Bess Ventures Founder Lane Bess; the eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American to fly to space, and the namesake of New Shepard Laura Shepard Churchley, and Good Morning America host Michael Strahan.
NS-18 (October 13, 2021): Blue Origin’s Vice President, New Shepard Mission & Flight Operations Audrey Powers; entrepreneur and Planet Labs Co-Founder Dr. Chris Boshuizen; entrepreneur Glen de Vries; and actor William Shatner.
NS-16 (July 20, 2021): Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos; volunteer firefighter and co-founder of HighPost Capital Mark Bezos; student Oliver Daemen; and aviator Wally Funk.
To see information about flying on a future New Shepard mission, CLICK HERE.
