An engineer from Germany has made history by becoming the world's first wheelchair user to go to space.

Michaela Benthaus, who suffered a spinal cord injury from a mountain bike accident seven years ago, reached out to a retired space engineer online to explore the feasibility of her astronaut dreams.

With his assistance, arrangements were made for a monumental 10-minute flight with Blue Origin, the space tourism venture established by Jeff Bezos.

On Saturday, Ms. Benthaus, along with five companions, launched from Texas, achieving a trajectory beyond the Kármán line, the recognized boundary of space.

It was the coolest experience! she exclaimed post-landing in a video released by Blue Origin. I didn’t only enjoy the view and the microgravity but also the ascent; it was incredible at every stage of the journey up!

Blue Origin's New Shepard had liftoff from the company's Texas facility at 14:15 GMT.

A member of the European Space Agency, Ms. Benthaus reflected on how her accident clarified the ongoing challenges of accessibility in the world for individuals with disabilities.

She ingeniously transferred herself from her wheelchair into the capsule via a bench that extended from the hatch. Hans Koenigsmann, a retired SpaceX manager who facilitated the mission, was present to assist her during the flight as necessary.

I initially contacted Hans online, inquiring whether people like me could become astronauts, Ms. Benthaus shared.

Koenigsmann expressed that her determination motivated him to pursue this mission, aiming to experience something he had long observed from a distance.

Blue Origin enhanced their ground support systems to ease Ms. Benthaus's entry and exit from the capsule.

Phil Joyce, the senior vice-president of New Shepard, remarked, Michi's flight is particularly meaningful, demonstrating that space is for everyone, and we are proud to help her achieve this dream.

The cost of this mission, part of Blue Origin's series of space tourism flights, remains undisclosed.

Blue Origin has already facilitated numerous journeys to space, including a recent flight in April featuring celebrities such as Katy Perry and CBS's Gayle King.

These high-profile missions occur amid fierce competition among private space companies vying for supremacy in the space tourism industry.