Nigeria will select its next space representative through an expanded democratic astronaut selection process, launched 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, we’re 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.
While Nigeria has pursued space exploration through its National Space Research and Development Agency (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,” said Dr. Matthew Olumide Adepoju, director general of NASRDA. “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.
