Nigeria To Send First Citizen Into Space With Bezos’ Blue Origin

Nigeria will be sending its first citizen to space as part of collaboration between its National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA), a global space agency.

SERA will reserve a seat for a Nigerian citizen on an upcoming Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital spaceflight.

First Nigerian in Space

Announced on June 19, 2024, this initiative is part of a broader effort to include nations historically underrepresented in space exploration.

“Until now, space has been an exclusive domain, with over 80% of all astronauts coming from just three countries,” Joshua Skurla, Co-Founder of SERA, stated in a press release.

“We are honored to partner with NASRDA to extend Nigeria’s legacy into space and create new opportunities for Nigerian space explorers.”

Read: Meet The Black Woman Going To Space With Bezos’ Blue Origin

Nigeria’s Space Aspirations

Since its establishment in 1999, NASRDA has launched six satellites, starting with Nigeria Sat-1 in 2003. However, this will be the first time a Nigerian citizen will journey to space.

Dr. Matthew Adepoju, Director General of NASRDA, emphasized, “This partnership is a testament to Nigeria’s growing prominence in the global space community. It is a step towards realizing our goal of putting a Nigerian in space as stated in our National Space Policy.”

The Learnspace Foundation played a key role in this partnership. The organization’s president, Dr. Anne Agi, successfully advocated for Nigeria to be chosen for the historic mission.

The SERA-NASRDA collaboration builds on SERA’s previous success in sending Victor Hespanha, a Brazilian civil engineer, to space in 2022.

Image credit: Blue Origin