Want to fly to space? Indians can now fly on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, here’s how

SERA and Blue Origin are preparing a space flight on a New Shepard rocket for people from countries with limited or no previous astronautical participation who have sent few or no astronauts to space

Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA), in collaboration with Blue Origin, has welcomed India into their pioneering human spaceflight initiative tailored for countries which have sent very few astronauts, or no astronauts at all, to space. Based in the United States, SERA has announced an opportunity for global citizens to secure six seats on an upcoming New Shepard mission, Blue Origin’s innovative reusable suborbital rocket. Interested Indian citizens can apply for the programme by paying a nominal fee of $2.50 (approximately Rs 207.5) to cover verification costs ensuring fair and safe participation. Final candidates will be chosen through public voting, offering them a chance to journey into space aboard the New Shepard mission. Blue Origin, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, specializes in developing reusable rocket engines, launch vehicles, and lunar landers. SERA was established to forge a global community dedicated to advancing space exploration and research, aiming to make space accessible to people worldwide. Joshua Skurla, co-founder of SERA, expressed excitement about India joining their human spaceflight programme. Astronauts selected for the mission will experience several minutes of weightlessness before safely descending back to Earth. “Our mission is to democratize space by enabling citizens from over 150 countries with limited access to space to engage in groundbreaking research and contribute to the future of space exploration,” Skurla emphasized. “We aspire to empower global participation and ensure diverse voices in shaping our space endeavours.” Prospective astronauts must meet Blue Origin’s physical requirements and can campaign for votes by sharing their mission profiles on social media and other platforms. Voting will proceed through three phases of candidate elimination, with the public voting for candidates from their respective nations or regions, except for one global seat. Sam Hutchison, another co-founder of SERA, highlighted the importance of empowering communities to select their astronauts. This approach should foster an environment where different countries can have a dialogue about space exploration. This should also encourage international collaboration. The final six crew members will undergo training at Blue Origin’s launch site in West Texas, beginning three days prior to the flight. Blue Origin remains steadfast in its mission to reduce the cost of space access and harness its resources to propel future generations towards the frontier of space exploration.