Disabled engineer becomes first wheelchair user to blast off for space

Michaela Benthaus (Blue Origin via AP)

A disabled engineer from Germany has blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while viewing the Earth from on high.

Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus became the first wheelchair user to launch to space, soaring from West Texas with Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin.