A Nigerian-born lawyer and politician, Owolabi Salis, has become the first Nigerian to travel to space.
Salis was one of 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.
According to Space in Africa the 10-minute suborbital flight took the crew past the Kármán line, the internationally recognised boundary of space, reaching a peak altitude of 105.2 kilometres.
With this feat, Salis joins the ranks of citizen astronauts who have ventured into space under the New Shepard programme, a private spaceflight initiative by Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos.
Speaking before the flight, Salis said, “This mission is more than just a trip into space, it’s a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations.”
He also expressed hope that his journey would encourage interest in space exploration across Africa.
Born in Ikorodu, Lagos, Salis is a chartered accountant and licensed to practise in both Nigeria and the United States.
He is also the author of Equitocracy, a book that promotes fairness and equity in democratic governance.
Salis was the first Black African to visit both the Arctic and Antarctic in the same season.
He is also known in Nigerian politics, having contested several elections, including as the Alliance for Democracy’s governorship candidate in Lagos in 2019.
