₦airaland Forum

Blue Origin today successfully launched its 13th human spaceflight, the NS-33 mission, marking another milestone in commercial space travel. The flight, which carried six passengers, including Chief Owolabi Salis, the first Nigerian, soared past the Kármán line (100 km / 62 miles) to reach an apogee of 105.2 km (345,044 feet), offering the crew a breathtaking view of Earth and a life-changing experience of weightlessness.

Mission Highlights
Historic Achievement: Salis, a U.S.-based Nigerian lawyer, politician, and spiritual leader, became the first Nigerian to journey into space, inspiring a wave of pride across Africa.

Diverse Crew: The six passengers, who dubbed themselves “The Solstice 33” (after their original June 21 launch target), included Allie and Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin.

Flawless Flight: The 10-minute suborbital mission saw the RSS Kármán Line crew capsule and Tail 5 propulsion module complete a safe return, landing near the launch site in West Texas.
Global Impact: With this flight, 123 people have now flown on suborbital missions, as tracked by the Association of Space Explorers.

A Historic First for Nigeria
Hailing from Ikorodu, Lagos, Salis described his journey as a “convergence of science and spirit.”

“This mission is more than just a trip into space, it’s a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations,” he said before liftoff. A champion of community development and youth empowerment, Salis hopes his historic flight will ignite interest in space exploration across Africa.

Furthermore, Salis’ flight marks a key moment for Nigeria and Africa, demonstrating growing participation in space endeavours. His safe return sparked celebrations in Nigeria, with many hailing him as a national hero.

The NS-33 mission patch featured green rings symbolising Earth’s horizon and the Kármán line, reflecting humanity’s quest to push boundaries. Blue Origin’s New Shepard programme continues to advance private spaceflight, offering research opportunities and citizen astronaut experiences. With 33 successful flights, the company remains a leader in reusable rocket technology and commercial space tourism.

As interest in space grows across Africa, Salis’ journey may pave the way for more Africans, ushering in a new chapter of global inclusivity in space exploration.

Nukilia:
Omo Yoruba Atata...😍

Come and fund space research in Nigeria...

esnbrutality:
what has been debunked as fake news.

You people and gullibility sef.

nothingspoil70:
see premium tears from one of them already

Lol llllllllllzs

esnbrutality:
what has been debunked as fake news.

You people and gullibility sef.

Putinofrussia:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/blue-origin-successfully-completes-13th-crewed-suborbital-flight/story%3fid=123320375

BlackViper:
Blue Horizon only takes its passengers to the edge of the earth's atmosphere. It doesn't actually go into outer space.

Katy Perry and her friends were mocked tirelessly for making the same claim.

Why must Nigerians insist on embarrassing themselves like this?

Putinofrussia:
While you whine and give yourself a chronic emotional pain here,Owolabi Salis has been recorded and recognised as the first West African to go to space.

Putinofrussia:
Owolabu is the first West African in space.

No, Owolabi Salis is not the first Black African in space. While he is set to be the first Nigerian to travel to space, multiple news sources confirm that Guion Bluford, an American astronaut, was the first African American to travel to space in 1983.
Owolabi Salis is making history as the first Nigerian to travel to space on a Blue Origin mission, but he is not the first Black African to venture into space. Owolabi is also known for being the first Black African to travel to both the Arctic and Antarctic within a single season, according to a press release from Blue Origin.

flokii:
First Nigerian in space is a Yoruba man..
Yoruba race is destined for greatness.

BlackViper:
Except that he didn't go to space because the edge of the atmosphere doesn't qualify as space

AndroBlaze:

Oga, he is the first Black African to enter space and no African should be silly enough to fall for any other description.

The African-Americans you are talking about cannot be described as the first Africans to enter space.....they should be described as the first black people or people of African descent to enter space but not as the first Africans.

In fact even the description I gave above of them is likely even wrong, as genetics and hollywood has shown us that a lot of people who look White have considerable Black African genetics but it does not show in their skin, so again that would mean those people that look overtly Black are not even the first people of African descent to enter space. For example if someone like Mariah Carey had entered space, will you be the one to tell her she is not Black after she has told you people over and over that she is.

So please give Chief Owolabi, who has a track record of going where Africans do not go his rightly deserved props and not people who choose when they want to identify with you or not.