Owolabi Salis becomes first Nigerian to travel to space

Owolabi Salis becomes first Nigerian to travel to space

A Nigerian-born lawyer and politician, Owolabi Salis, has become the first Nigerian to travel to space.

He was among six passengers on Blue Origin's NS-33 mission, which launched from West Texas on Sunday.

Other crew members included Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin.

The suborbital flight, operated by Blue Origin, lasted 10 minutes and reached an altitude of 105.2 kilometres, crossing the Kármán line.

Before the launch, Salis described the mission as a spiritual journey and expressed hope it would inspire more Africans to pursue space exploration.

Born in Ikorodu, Lagos, Salis is a chartered accountant and licensed attorney in Nigeria and the United States.

Salis previously became the first Black African to visit both the Arctic and Antarctic in the same season.

He has contested multiple elections in Nigeria, including as the Alliance for Democracy's governorship candidate in Lagos in 2019.

Comments

Keep up to date with our latest articles and uploads...