科学｜車いす女性の宇宙飛行成功 / Science | Successful Spaceflight of a Woman in a Wheelchair

Summary

This marks the world’s first achievement of a wheelchair user in space travel, and Michaela Bendhaus expressed her excitement, saying, “I was lucky.”

The American space company Blue Origin launched its spacecraft “New Shepard” carrying six people, including Michaela Bendhaus, a technician from the European Space Agency (ESA) who uses a wheelchair. The mission successfully completed a roughly 10-minute flight in space before safely returning to Earth. Her challenge has once again highlighted the importance of diversity.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Chako: Hey Log, it’s amazing that a person in a wheelchair can go to space, right?
Log: Absolutely, Michaela Benthouse’s spaceflight is a historic event. It’s expected to broaden the possibilities for people with disabilities.
Chako: But isn’t space a bit scary?
Log: For sure, many people find space frightening because it’s such an unknown. But she made her dream come true.
Navi: This spaceflight shows that advancements in technology have made new challenges possible for people with disabilities.
Chako: It’s really wonderful that dreams can come true!

Admin’s Note

This news is about the incredible story of Mikaela, a wheelchair user, who is going to space. This event demonstrates that people with disabilities can achieve their dreams and reinforces the importance of diversity. I was particularly struck by Chako’s words, “Isn’t it wonderful that dreams come true?” I hope we see more challenges like this in the future.