India Joins SERA and Blue Origin’s Human Spaceflight Programme
Image Credits: Telangana Today
New Delhi: July 1, 2024 – In a groundbreaking collaboration, the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) and Blue Origin have announced that India will join their human spaceflight programme. This initiative aims to offer citizens from countries with limited space exploration experience a chance to travel beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
SERA, a US-based agency, will provide six seats to individuals from across the globe on a future mission aboard Blue Origin’s reusable suborbital rocket, New Shepard. This spacecraft will embark on an 11-minute journey past the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space at 100 kilometers above sea level.
During the flight, astronauts will experience several minutes of weightlessness before the New Shepard makes a controlled descent back to the landing pad.
“We’re excited to have India as part of our human spaceflight programme,” said Joshua Skurla, Co-Founder of SERA. “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.”
Indian citizens interested in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity can register for the programme by paying a nominal fee of approximately USD 2.50. This fee covers the costs of verification checks to ensure safe and fair voting. The final candidates will be chosen through a public voting process, with the winners earning a seat on the New Shepard mission.
Selected candidates must meet Blue Origin’s physical requirements to qualify. They will have the opportunity to share their stories with the public through mission profile pages, social media, and other platforms to garner votes. The voting process will progress through three elimination phases, where people will vote for candidates from their nation or region, except for the sixth 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. “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 lower the barrier to entry, allowing for more diverse and inclusive participation in space.”
This innovative programme marks a significant step toward making space travel more accessible and inclusive, potentially inspiring a new generation of space enthusiasts and explorers.
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