Woman Engineer Becomes First Wheelchair User to Travel to Space

Woman Engineer Becomes First Wheelchair User to Travel to Space

Reported by Sele Media Africa | Ihuoma Amarachi

History was made on December 19, 2023, when Katya Echazarreta, an electrical engineer and disability advocate, became the first person in a wheelchair to travel to space aboard a Blue Origin flight, marking a major milestone for inclusivity in space exploration.Echazarreta, a Mexican-American and former NASA engineer, joined five other crew members on the New Shepard NS-25 mission, launched by Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin. The suborbital flight took the team briefly above the Kármán line, the recognized boundary of space, before safely returning to Earth.Her journey was made possible through the efforts of Mission: Astro Access, a non-profit aiming to advance disability inclusion in space. Echazarreta described the flight as “liberating” and “proof that space belongs to everyone.”

“This flight represents not just a personal dream fulfilled but also a powerful statement about accessibility and capability,” she said in a post-flight interview.Advocates have praised Blue Origin for taking a bold step toward diversifying space travel and addressing physical accessibility challenges in spacecraft design.

Sources:

[CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/19/tech/blue-origin-wheelchair-user-spaceflight/index.html) – [Space.com](https://www.space.com/blue-origin-first-wheelchair-user-space-flight) – [BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67741204) – [Blue Origin Official Website](https://www.blueorigin.com/news/blue-origin-ns25-success/)

About The Author

Ihuoma Amarachi Grace

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Ihuoma Amarachi Grace is a journalist with Sele Media Africa, committed to telling authentic African stories with depth and creativity. A Christian and a student of English and Literary Studies, she blends her love for writing with the art of spoken word to inspire and inform. Her voice adds a thoughtful and artistic dimension to Sele Media’s mission of amplifying unheard voices across the continent.

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