Indian citizen could fly to space aboard Blue Origin's rocket
An Indian citizen could soon have the opportunity to fly to space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard launch vehicle, as part of the Space Exploration and Research Agency's (SERA) human spaceflight program. SERA, a US-based agency, is offering six seats on a future mission of New Shepard to citizens from countries which have sent few or no astronauts into space. "We're excited to have India as part of our human spaceflight program," said Joshua Skurla, co-founder of SERA.
New Shepard will fly astronauts on an 11-minute trip
New Shepard will take the chosen astronauts on an 11-minute trip beyond the Karman line (100km altitude), the internationally recognized space boundary. They will experience several minutes of weightlessness before descending back to the landing pad in a controlled manner.
SERA mission: Citizens can register by paying small fee
The opportunity is open to any Indian citizen who can register for the SERA program by paying a $2.50 fee (around ₹209) for verification checks. The final candidates will be chosen through public voting, allowing them to fly onboard the New Shepard mission. "Our mission is to democratize space by enabling citizens from over 150 countries with limited access to space to participate in ground-breaking research and create history," Skurla added.
Public voting to determine final astronauts
Candidates must meet Blue Origin's physical requirements and can garner votes by sharing their story publicly through various platforms. The voting process will progress through candidate elimination across three phases, with the public voting only for candidates from their nation or region, except for one global seat. "By giving communities the power to choose their astronauts, we ensure this mission is driven by people, for people," said Sam Hutchison, co-founder of SERA.
Pre-flight training at Blue Origin's launch site
The final six crew members will arrive three days prior to the flight for training at Blue Origin's launch site in West Texas. Phil Joyce, SVP of New Shepard, emphasized that "this program exemplifies our commitment to making space accessible to everyone." "We're proud to support SERA in their efforts to send an Indian citizen to space and inspire the next generation of space explorers," he added.
