- Owolabi Salis makes history as the first Nigerian to travel to space
- Part of Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission which launched from West Texas
- Suborbital flight crossed the internationally recognised Kármán line
A historic milestone has been achieved as Owolabi Salis, a Nigerian-born lawyer and politician, has become the first Nigerian to travel to space, following his successful flight aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission.
The mission, operated by Jeff Bezos' aerospace company Blue Origin, launched from West Texas, USA, on Sunday, June 30, 2025, carrying six passengers on a suborbital spaceflight. The spacecraft soared beyond the Kármán line—the widely accepted boundary of space located approximately 100km above Earth's surface—making Salis the first Nigerian to cross into space.
Born in Ikorodu, Lagos, Salis joined five other passengers for the short but historic mission, which lasted around 10 minutes. The flight offered passengers a unique experience of weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth before a safe return.
Describing the journey as both personal and symbolic, Salis remarked:
"This mission is not just a personal achievement, but a spiritual journey and a call to inspire young Nigerians and Africans to believe in the impossible."
In addition to being a qualified chartered accountant and attorney licensed in both Nigeria and the United States, Salis is known for his community development work, political aspirations, and advocacy for education and youth empowerment.
Salis's spaceflight is only the latest in a series of pioneering feats. He is also the first Black African to have visited both the Arctic and Antarctic in the same season, underscoring his reputation as an explorer and global trailblazer.
While Salis is now officially recognised as the first Nigerian to travel to space, there has been longstanding public confusion surrounding Stella Felix, who is often mistakenly referred to as Nigeria's first space traveller.
In 2006, Stella Felix, then a teenager, participated in a zero-gravity simulation flight, a parabolic aircraft flight designed to mimic brief periods of weightlessness. However, it is important to clarify that this did not involve travelling beyond Earth's atmosphere or crossing the Kármán line. Though her achievement in experiencing microgravity was notable, it did not constitute actual space travel.
Salis's spaceflight represents a major milestone for Nigeria and the African continent, inspiring renewed conversations around space exploration, science, and technology. His journey not only places Nigeria on the global map of human spaceflight but also serves as a beacon for young Africans to pursue careers in STEM fields and space sciences.
