Owolabi Salis, a Nigerian-born US-based lawyer and politician, has made history as the first Nigerian to travel to space. Salis was among six passengers on Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, which launched from West Texas on Sunday.
His fellow crew members were Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin. The suborbital flight, operated by Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, Blue Origin, lasted 10 minutes and reached a peak altitude of 105.2 kilometres, crossing the Kármán line—the internationally recognised boundary of space. Speaking before the flight, Salis said, “This mission is more than just a trip into space, it is a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations.” He also expressed hope that his journey would encourage interest in space exploration across Africa.
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