The US-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) has partnered with Blue Origin to include India in its upcoming human spaceflight initiative.
On Monday, this collaboration is announced, marking a significant step towards expanding global participation in space exploration.
As part of this partnership, SERA and Blue Origin plan to offer Indian citizens seats aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft.
This spacecraft, designed for reusable suborbital missions, takes passengers on an 11-minute journey beyond the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.
The initiative aims to allocate six seats to individuals from nations that have historically had limited or no representation in human spaceflight missions.
Participants in the programme will experience several minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth in a controlled descent.
Joshua Skurla, Co-Founder of SERA, expressed enthusiasm about India’s involvement, highlighting the country’s recent achievements in space exploration, including reaching the Moon’s South Pole.
He emphasized SERA’s commitment to making space accessible to a global audience and welcomed Indian citizens to seize this unprecedented opportunity for space travel.
Interested Indian citizens can register for the programme by paying a nominal fee of approximately $2.50, covering verification costs to ensure safety and fairness in candidate selection.
Meanwhile, the final selection of astronauts will involve a public voting process, where candidates can share their stories and garner support through mission profile pages and social media platforms.
Meanwhile, candidates selected for the mission will undergo rigorous physical assessments to meet Blue Origin’s stringent health and fitness criteria.
The final crew of six astronauts, including those from India, will undergo specialized training at Blue Origin’s launch facility in West Texas, starting three days before the scheduled flight.
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