By STELLAMARIS ASHINZE

The Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) on Wednesday launched an expanded democratic process to select astronauts from five partner countries, Nigeria inclusive, representing them on its upcoming Blue Origin Mission.

This was contained in a statement issued on behalf of SERA by its Communications Lead in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Israel-Ayide.

Israel-Ayide said that the programme transformed space access from an exclusive institutional selection to one that involved public participation.

He said that the initiative promoted communities in Nigeria, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Thailand selecting their space representative by voting through a blockchain-powered platform.

According to Israel-Ayide, unlike traditional astronaut programmes requiring military backgrounds or advanced degrees, SERA’s Mission Control platform on Telegram enables anyone from its partner nations to apply and compete for community support.

“After the success of SERA’s inaugural space flight in 2022, we are scaling democratic space access to five nations simultaneously, plus a global seat.

“Nigeria’s seat means someone from any background can represent their nation in space based on community choice,” said Joshua Skurla, SERA’s Co-Founder.

The statement said that the approach built on SERA’s demonstrated success in sending Victor Hespanha to become South America’s first civilian astronaut on Blue Origin’s New Shepard.

It said that the mission validated both the selection process and global appetite for community participation in space exploration.

According to it, for Nigeria, this represents a historic opportunity to build on the country’s recent achievements in space.

“While Nigeria has pursued space exploration through its National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), SERA offers the first community-selected civilian astronaut pathway.

“This partnership aligns with our vision of expanding Nigeria’s space presence beyond satellites to human spaceflight.

“SERA’s democratic approach ensures that Nigeria’s representation reflects our diverse population aspirations,” Dr. Matthew Olumide Adepoju, Director-General of NASRDA said.

The President of Learnspace Foundation, Dr. Anne Agi, that facilitated the partnership between SERA and NASRDA, spoke on the broader mission.

She said: “We are building bridges between communities, institutions, and industry to ensure Nigeria’s journey to human spaceflight is not only historic but inclusive and connected to the global movement for shared exploration.”

Agi explained that the selection process would operate through SERA’s Mission Control, a Telegram mini-app built on TON Blockchain for transparent voting.

She said that candidates would complete challenges to earn “SpaceDust” points and compete for their nation’s guaranteed seat.

According to her, the blockchain infrastructure prevents manipulation while enabling global participation through the accessible Telegram platform.

SERA’s Co-Founder, Sam Hutchison, said that the organization was opening space to people who never imagined it possible.

Hutchison said that a teacher in Abuja or a content creator in Lagos could now compete for Nigeria’s space seat through community engagement, not just academic credentials.

He said that six seats were reserved for the upcoming Blue Origin Mission, with five allocated to partner nations and a sixth open to citizens from any country.

Hutchison said that the program included a science platform where communities could submit and vote on experiments, creating decentralized research opportunities.

He said that SERA’s new programme addressed the representation gap in space exploration.

”While around 800 people have traveled to space since 1961, none from Nigeria, India, Indonesia, Thailand, or most developing nations have flown as community-selected civilian astronauts despite representing billions of global citizens,” Hutchinson stressed.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SERA, Max Crown, said that its Mission Control represented space exploration reimagined for social media users.

Crown said that by launching on TON within Telegram, SERA transformed space travel from a distant concept into an interactive, community-driven experience.

He said that the platform represented one of the most ambitious consumer applications built on TON Blockchain, showcasing practical Web3 applications beyond financial uses.

According to him, transparent voting addresses fairness concerns while gamified engagement drives sustained participation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the applications open immediately through SERA’s Mission Control Telegram App, with voting and selection timelines to be announced.

Selected astronauts will undergo standard Blue Origin safety training before their spaceflight missions. (NAN)