German engineer becomes first wheelchair user to visit space (www.dw.com)
from MicroWave@lemmy.world to world@lemmy.world on 21 Dec 12:10
https://lemmy.world/post/40507090

German engineer Michaela Benthaus, who has paraplegia, traveled to space with Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin.

German engineer Michaela Benthaus on Saturday became the first person with paraplegia to travel to space.

Benthaus, who is 33, was exuberant about her experience in space in comments made after her return to Earth. “It was the coolest experience ever, honestly,” the engineer, who works at the European Space Agency (ESA), said.

Benthaus sustained a spinal injury during a mountain bike accident at the age of 26 and now uses a wheelchair.

#world

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CameronDev@programming.dev on 21 Dec 13:23 next collapse

Not news, marketing.

ozymandias@sh.itjust.works on 21 Dec 13:40 collapse

paraplegics have some advantages in space… they require less food, take up less space, walking isn’t an issue….
they’ve done whole studies on this

zaphod@sopuli.xyz on 21 Dec 13:53 next collapse

Walking may not be an issue, but astronauts usually hook into things using their feet to stabilise themselves, can’t do that if you have no control over your legs.

[deleted] on 21 Dec 13:59 next collapse
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ozymandias@sh.itjust.works on 21 Dec 14:07 next collapse

<img alt="" src="https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/888c9278-a44c-442c-9077-cc3718c7f748.png">
what an important contribution to the conversation

yesman@lemmy.world on 21 Dec 19:21 collapse

This comment is braindead bigotry. It’s like saying a paraplegic can’t be a lawyer because they can’t climb the courthouse steps.

There has never existed an astronaut that didn’t need significant accommodation to live in work in space (duh), you’re arguing that disabled people don’t deserve the exact same treatment. Fuck you.

zaphod@sopuli.xyz on 21 Dec 19:41 next collapse

I’m just saying that just because they’re in space their disability doesn’t suddenly disappear. They still need some additional support, because astronauts still use their legs, just not for walking.

Typhoon@lemmy.ca on 22 Dec 00:40 collapse

It’s like saying a paraplegic can’t be a lawyer because they can’t climb the courthouse steps

Show me where he said she can’t be an astronaut.

CameronDev@programming.dev on 21 Dec 14:21 next collapse

Cool, but not at all what is happening here. She spent 30 minute in a suborbital hop. Nothing here is groundbreaking or new, its just a photo-op.

ozymandias@sh.itjust.works on 21 Dec 14:22 collapse

it’s still neat…

atzanteol@sh.itjust.works on 21 Dec 18:36 collapse

It’s exploitation. They’re not astronauts - they’re props to get Bezos headlines.

ozymandias@sh.itjust.works on 21 Dec 18:41 collapse

obviously

atzanteol@sh.itjust.works on 21 Dec 18:33 collapse

She was a passenger.

realitaetsverlust@piefed.zip on 21 Dec 13:41 next collapse

Was there any practical reason behind this or was katy perry just busy?

CameronDev@programming.dev on 21 Dec 14:28 collapse

Next month they are sending a guide dog up. It’ll be neat :/

j_elgato@leminal.space on 21 Dec 14:16 next collapse

I mean, the Fantastic Four flight suit is an interesting choice…

HazardousBanjo@lemmy.world on 21 Dec 14:26 next collapse

And billions could have been saved getting us there if NASA wasn’t hyper-defunded for scam known as the the private space industry.

falseWhite@lemmy.world on 21 Dec 14:30 collapse

Fuck Blue Origin. Fuck Bezos. Fuck this PR article.

I am happy for the girl, but let’s not pretend this is anything but a PR stunt.