Nigerian-born lawyer and politician Owolabi Salis has made history as the first Nigerian to travel to space. The US-based legal practitioner was among six passengers aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, which successfully launched from West Texas on June 29, 2025.
Salis flew alongside crewmates Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin on the 10-minute suborbital flight. The mission took the crew past the Kármán line—the internationally recognized boundary of space—reaching an altitude of 105.2 kilometres, according to Space in Africa.
The journey was part of the New Shepard programme, a private spaceflight initiative developed by Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos. With this accomplishment, Salis joins a select group of citizen astronauts who have reached space through commercial missions.
Prior to liftoff, Salis described the voyage as more than a scientific breakthrough, calling it a “spiritual journey” aimed at inspiring future generations. He expressed hope that his milestone would spark broader interest in space exploration across Africa.
Born in Ikorodu, Lagos, Salis is a chartered accountant and a licensed attorney in both Nigeria and the United States. He is also the author of *Equitocracy*, a book advocating for a democratic system grounded in fairness and inclusivity.
No stranger to adventure, Salis previously became the first Black African to visit both the Arctic and Antarctic in the same season. His political career spans decades, having contested for the Lagos State governorship multiple times under various political parties. In the 2019 election, he ran under the Alliance for Democracy and later challenged the result in court, although the tribunal ruled in favour of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Now, with his latest achievement, Salis adds “space traveller” to a long list of groundbreaking accomplishments.
