Nigeria joins global space race with democratic astronaut selection

By Juliet Umeh

Nigeria has taken a bold measurement into the aboriginal of abstraction exploration, with the motorboat of a antiauthoritarian astronaut enactment initiative, unveiled connected Tuesday by the Space Exploration & Research Agency, SERA.

The programme gives mean citizens the accidental to correspond the federation successful abstraction done a transparent, community-driven process.

In a statement, the Director, Media and Corporate Communications of the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, Dr. Felix Ale, explained that the inaugural promotes community-selected astronauts successful Nigeria, India, Indonesia, Brazil, and Thailand. According to him, citizens from these countries volition beryllium capable to ballot for their representatives done a blockchain-powered platform.

SERA co-founder, Joshua Skurla, said: “The attack shifts astronaut enactment from elite institutions to nationalist participation.

“Unlike accepted astronaut programs requiring subject oregon precocious world backgrounds, SERA’s Mission Control level connected Telegram enables anyone from spouse nations to use and vie for assemblage support.

“After the occurrence of SERA’s 2022 mission, which sent South America’s archetypal civilian astronaut, Victor Hespanha, to abstraction aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard, the bureau is present expanding entree globally.

“For Nigeria, this marks a historical accidental to beforehand its abstraction exploration ambitions beyond satellites.’’

NASRDA Director-General, Dr. Matthew Olumide Adepoju, successful his remarks, described the programme arsenic “a pathway that ensures Nigerian practice reflects the divers aspirations of our population.”

Also speaking, President of Learnspace Foundation, which facilitated the partnership, Dr. Anne Agi, stressed the inclusive quality of the initiative.

She said: “We’re gathering bridges betwixt communities, institutions, and manufacture to guarantee Nigeria’s travel to quality spaceflight is not lone historical but inclusive.”

The enactment process volition run done SERA’s Mission Control mini-app connected Telegram, built connected the TON Blockchain for transparency.

Applicants volition implicit challenges to gain “SpaceDust” points and vie for Nigeria’s guaranteed seat. Blockchain exertion volition guarantee just voting portion allowing planetary participation.

SERA co-founder, Sam Hutchison, explained the interaction for mean Nigerians: “A teacher successful Abuja oregon a contented creator successful Lagos tin present vie for Nigeria’s abstraction spot done assemblage engagement, not conscionable world credentials.’’

Six seats are disposable for the adjacent Blue Origin mission, 5 allocated to spouse nations, with 1 unfastened globally.

Selected astronauts volition acquisition Blue Origin’s information grooming earlier flight.

The initiative, according to the bank, is projected to assistance astir 105 enterprises, generating and sustaining respective 1000 nonstop and indirect jobs, portion making important publication to inclusive maturation and the simplification of unemployment.

Dr. Donkor explained that the approvals were intimately aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, straight advancing SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 13: Climate Action.

“Through these caller commitments, EBID continues to deepen its developmental footprint crossed the ECOWAS region,” Donkor said.

The station Nigeria joins planetary abstraction contention with antiauthoritarian astronaut selection appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.