By Zika Bobby
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) has officially recognised United States-based astronaut Chief Owolabi Salis’s achievement, and Wikipedia has listed him as the first Nigerian to travel to outer space.
According to the FAI, space flight is defined as any flight over 100 kilometers (62 miles) above sea level, and those who reach this threshold are awarded Astronaut Wings.
Salis, a Nigerian-born lawyer and finance technocrat, has been recognised globally for his remarkable achievement.
He is listed as number 702 among the officially acknowledged space travelers in human history, solidifying his place as a trailblazer for Nigeria and the African continent.
This recognition not only highlights Salis’s personal accomplishment but also sheds light on the growing presence of Africans in the global space community.
Wikipedia’s recognition of Salis’s feat ensures that his achievement will be documented for future generations.
It would be recalled that on June 29, 2025, Salis along with six others, took a trip to space, aboard the Blue Origin space-craft, which took off from West Texas and reached approximately 105 Km altitude, crossing the Karman Line, the internationally recognised boundary for space travel.
The trip code-named NS-33 was undertaken under the auspices of Blue Origin, an aerospace company owned by Amazon, founder of Jeff Broz.
On the historic trip with Salis was Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jnr. and Jim Sitkin, in an adventure which Salis, the leader and founder of Soul Makers Ministry World-Wide described as spiritually rewarding.
Also, world renowned sculptor Steve N.Barber mooted a plan to honor Salis with a monument in an honorific gesture to immortalise him.
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