Nigeria will select its next space representative through an expanded democratic astronaut
selection process, launched yesterday by the Space Exploration Research Agency (SERA).
The initiative promotes community-selected space representation for Nigeria, India, Indonesia,
Brazil, and Thailand, with citizens voting for their representatives through a blockchain-
powered platform.
The program transforms space access from an exclusive institutional selection to one that
involves public participation. Unlike traditional astronaut programs requiring military
backgrounds or advanced degrees, SERA’s Mission Control platform on Telegram enables
anyone from partner nations to apply and compete for community support.
“After the success of SERA’s inaugural space flight in 2022, were scaling democratic space
access to five nations simultaneously, plus a global seat,” said Joshua Skurla, SERA co-
founder. Nigeria’s seat means someone from any background can represent their nation in
space based on community choice.
The approach builds on SERA’s demonstrated success in sending Victor Hespanha, selected
from the SERA community, to become South America’s first civilian astronaut on Blue Origin’s New Shepard. That mission validated both the selection process and global appetite
for community participation in space exploration. For Nigeria, this represents a historic opportunity to build on the country’s recent achievements in space.
Director, Media and Corporate Communications at National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Felix Ale, in a statement, explained that while Nigeria has pursued space exploration through its NASRDA and witnessed Chief Owolabi Salis’s self-funded Blue Origin flight, 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,” Director General of NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Olumide Adepoju, said. SERA’s democratic approach ensures Nigerian representation reflects our diverse population’s aspirations.
Dr. Anne Agi, President of Learnspace Foundation, which facilitated the partnership
between SERA and NASRDA, emphasized the broader mission. “We’re 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.”
The selection process operates through SERA Mission Control, a Telegram mini-app built on
TON Blockchain for transparent voting. Candidates complete challenges to earn SpaceDust
points and compete for their nation’s guaranteed seat. The blockchain infrastructure
prevents manipulation while enabling global participation through the accessible Telegram
platform.
“We’re opening space to people who never imagined it possible,” said Sam Hutchison, SERA
co-founder. A teacher in Abuja or a content creator in Lagos can now compete for Nigeria’s
space seat through community engagement, not just academic credentials.”
Six seats are reserved for the upcoming Blue Origin mission—five allocated to partner
nations, with a sixth open to citizens from any country. The program includes a Science
Platform where communities can submit and vote on experiments, creating decentralized
research opportunities.
SERA addresses 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.
“SERA Mission Control represents space exploration reimagined for social media users,” said
Max Crown, CEO of TON Foundation. By launching on TON within Telegram, SERA
transforms space travel from a distant concept into an interactive, community-driven
experience.”
The platform represents one of the most ambitious consumer applications built on TON
Blockchain, showcasing practical Web3 applications beyond financial uses. Transparent
voting addresses fairness concerns while gamified engagement drives sustained
participation.
Applications open immediately through the SERA 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.
