Paraplegic engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to blast into space

( Blue Origin via AP )

Paraplegic engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to blast into space

         

車いすの女性、初の宇宙飛行に成功

       

公開日: 2026年1月15日

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1

Step 1

Read the Article

Read the article to understand the main idea.

記事を読んで、おおよその内容をつかみましょう。

Paraplegic engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to blast into space

A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers Dec. 20, leaving her wheelchair on Earth while she floated in space, looking at the planet from on high.

Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus became the first wheelchair user in space, launching from West Texas with Jeff Bezos’s company Blue Origin. She was accompanied by a retired SpaceX executive born in Germany, Hans Koenigsmann, who helped organize and, along with Blue Origin, sponsored her trip. Their ticket prices were not divulged.

An ecstatic Benthaus said she laughed all the way up — the capsule soared more than 65 miles (105 kilometers) — and tried to turn upside down once in space.

“It was the coolest experience,” she said shortly after landing.

The 10-minute flight required only minor adjustments to accommodate Benthaus, the company said. That’s because the autonomous New Shepard capsule was designed with accessibility in mind, “making it more accessible to a wider range of people than traditional spaceflight,” said Blue Origin engineer Jake Mills.

(AP)

2

Step 2

Check the Vocabulary and Phrases

Check the following vocabulary and phrases.

以下の単語やフレーズの発音、意味、使い方を確認しましょう。

paraplegic

形容詞

対まひの、下半身不随の

unable to move or feel the legs or lower part of the body

例文

The charity supports paraplegic patients returning to work.

その慈善団体は、職場復帰を目指す対麻痺の患者を支援している。

blast off

句動詞

飛び立つ

(of spacecraft) to leave the ground

例文

Thousands of people gathered to watch the spacecraft blast off.

何千人もの人々が宇宙船が飛び立つのを見に集まった。

divulge

動詞

(秘密・情報を)公表する

to make information known that was previously secret or not publicly available

例文

The company refused to divulge the details of the new contract.

その会社は新しい契約の詳細を公表することを拒否した。

ecstatic

形容詞

大喜びの

very happy, excited and enthusiastic; feeling or showing great enthusiasm

例文

She was ecstatic when she received the job offer she had been hoping for.

彼女はずっと望んでいた仕事の内定を受け取り大喜びだった。

autonomous

形容詞

自律型の

able to operate or make decisions without human control

例文

The factory introduced autonomous robots to improve efficiency.

その工場は効率向上のため、自律型のロボットを導入した。

3

Step 3

Comprehension Questions

Answer the following questions based on the article.

理解度問題に挑戦しましょう。

1

Who is Michaela Benthaus and what significant achievement did she accomplish?

2

How did Michaela Benthaus describe her feelings during the rocket flight?

4

Step 4

Discussion

Share your opinions on the following questions.

以下の質問について、自分の考えを述べてみましょう。

1

Are you interested in space exploration? Why or why not?

2

Would you like to join a space flight like this? What excites or concerns you most?

3

Can you describe a time when you achieved a big goal and felt proud or excited?

4

Why is it important for companies to make products or experiences more accessible to everyone?

5

What are your thoughts on space travel becoming more common for ordinary people in the future?

Development

参照 The Japan Times Alpha

 

編集 学研のKiminiオンライン英会話 編集部