Jeff Bezos' space flight may have an Indian onboard soon. Key details

An Indian citizen might soon have the chance to fly aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin New Shepard launch vehicle, according to a report by Moneycontrol. This opportunity is part of the Space Exploration and Research Agency’s (SERA) human spaceflight program, which targets countries that have sent few or no astronauts into space.

SERA, a US-based agency, is planning to offer six seats on a future mission of New Shepard, Blue Origin’s reusable suborbital rocket, to citizens from various countries.

The New Shepard mission will take the selected astronauts on an 11-minute journey beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognised boundary of space at 100 km altitude. The astronauts will experience a few minutes of weightlessness before returning to the landing pad.

How will the aspiring astronauts be selected?

Indian citizens interested in the SERA program can register by paying a fee of $2.50 (around Rs 209) to cover verification checks for safe and fair voting. The final candidates will be chosen by public vote for the chance to fly aboard the New Shepard mission.

Aspiring astronauts must meet Blue Origin’s physical requirements. They can gain public votes by sharing their stories through their mission profile pages, social media, and other platforms. The voting process will involve candidate elimination across three phases, with the public voting for candidates from their own nation or region, except for the sixth global seat.

Mission to ‘democratise’ space

The report stated that Joshua Skurla, co-founder of SERA, noted India’s significant achievements in space exploration, including becoming the first country to reach the Moon’s south pole, and emphasised SERA’s goal of making space accessible to everyone by offering this opportunity to an Indian citizen.

Skurla added that SERA’s mission is to democratise space by enabling citizens from over 150 countries with limited access to space to participate in groundbreaking research and make history. He emphasised the agency’s aim to give people worldwide a voice and stake in the future of space exploration.

Sam Hutchison, co-founder of SERA, highlighted that by empowering communities to choose their astronauts, the mission will foster national conversations on space and encourage international collaboration. The minimal physical requirements and training for New Shepard’s flight will lower the barrier to entry, promoting diverse and inclusive participation in space.

The selected crew members will arrive three days before the flight for training at Blue Origin’s launch site in West Texas.

Meanwhile, India is preparing for its human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, and has already selected group captains Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and wing commander Shubanshu Shukla as astronauts for the mission.