Owolabi Salis, a lawyer based in New York, United States, has made history as Nigeria’s first individual to travel to space.
He achieved this milestone as one of six passengers on Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, the company’s 13th crewed spaceflight.
According to Space in Africa, the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launched from its West Texas facility on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
Other passengers on the short, 10-minute suborbital flight included Allie and Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin.
During the flight, the crew crossed the Kármán line—the internationally recognised boundary of space—and reached an altitude of 105.2 kilometres.
Salis, who hails from Ikorodu, Lagos, described the experience as a “convergence of science and spirit.”
“This mission is more than just a trip into space; it’s a spiritual journey and a call to inspire future generations,” he stated before launch.
In 2019, Salis was the gubernatorial candidate for the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos State.
