New Delhi: In a bid to democratise space, US-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) in collaboration with Jeff Bezos’ space tech firm Blue Origin has announced India as a partner nation in their human spaceflight programme. Sharing a post on X(previously Twitter), SERA wrote,” It’s official! India has secured a seat to space. An aam aadmi will soon travel on Blue Origin’s New Shepard Rocket. Will it be you?” The research agency has partnered with Blue Origin to develop a human spaceflight program to provide the opportunity for everyday citizens from around the world to become astronauts and participate in space science. Learn about the pre-registration process, selection criteria, and how the “aam aadmi” (common person) can fulfill their space travel dreams.
SERA will offer citizens from India a seat on Blue Origin’s future mission of reusable rocket New Shepard on an 11-minute journey past the Karman line (100 km), the globally accepted threshold between the earth’s atmosphere and outer space.
It’s official! India has secured a seat to space. An aam aadmi will soon travel on Blue Origin’s New Shepard Rocket. Will it be you? 🚀
Pre-register here: https://t.co/dKzzFVAeQJ#AamAadmiInSpace #IndiaGoesToSpace@blueorigin pic.twitter.com/mMrKFEoYQJ— Space Exploration and Research Agency (@seraspaceage) July 1, 2024
Indian citizens will be part of the six seats that together SERA and Blue Origin aim to offer to people from countries that have sent few or no citizen astronauts to space. The astronauts will experience several minutes of weightlessness before making a controlled descent back to the landing pad.
“We’re excited to have India as part of our human spaceflight program,” said Joshua Skurla, Co-Founder, SERA. “India has achieved remarkable milestones in its space journey the past few years, including becoming the first country to reach the Moon’s southern pole. We want to make space accessible for everyone and are happy to offer this unique opportunity to an Indian citizen who wants to experience the wonders of space travel. The registration is expected to begin in August.
Become An Astronaut: Official Website to Pre-Register For Blue Origin Space Tourism
The idea of space tourism has intrigued people globally, stirring up excitement about the possibility of travelling beyond Earth’s atmosphere. With the progression of technology and the rise of private space companies, what once seemed like a distant dream is now becoming a reality. The pre-registration can be done by visiting the official website at https://www.sera.space/preregistration.
SERA Astronaut Candidate Requirement
- Be a human
- Want to go to space
- Be 18+ years of age at the time of flight
Application Fee An Indian Citizen Must Pay
Any Indian citizen can register for the program by paying a fee of USD 2.50 to cover the costs of verification checks that ensure safe and fair voting. The final candidates will be voted on by the public for an opportunity to fly to space onboard the New Shepard mission.
- Visit the official website of the US-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) at https://www.sera.space/missions.
- Click on the link, “Register now to receive updates on how to participate in the upcoming Mission Pre-Registrations.”
- Enter your email ID, first name, last name, age, and country.
- Accept the terms and conditions. Click on ‘pre-register.’
Public Voting Through Mission Profile Pages, Social Media: Know More About The Selection Process
The potential astronauts will be required to meet Blue Origin’s physical requirements. They can garner votes by telling their story to the public using their mission profile pages, social media, and other resources. Voting will progress through candidate elimination across three phases.
The public will vote only for candidates from their nation or region, except for the sixth global seat. The final six crew will arrive three days prior to the flight for training at Blue Origin’s launch site in West Texas. “By giving communities the power to choose their astronauts, we ensure this mission is driven by people, for people,” said Sam Hutchison, Co-Founder, SERA. “This approach will ignite national conversations on space and foster international collaboration in space exploration. The minimal physical requirements and training for New Shepard’s flight lowers the barrier to entry by allowing more diverse and inclusive participation in space.” “This program exemplifies our commitment to making space accessible to everyone,” said Phil Joyce, SVP, New Shepard. “We’re proud to support SERA in their efforts to send an Indian citizen to space and inspire the next generation of space explorers.”
