By Zika Bobby
United States-based lawyer and politician, Owolabi Salis will become the first Nigerian to venture into space above the Karman line. This historic feat is expected to take place soon, although the exact launch date remains undisclosed due to strategic security reasons by Blue Origin Space Mission.
Salis will join global celebrities on this extraordinary adventure, including, Allie Kuehnor, Carl Kuerhnour, Leland Larson, Freeddie Rescignor Jnr. and Jim Sitkin
He said he would be dedicating the mission to victims of discrimination and civil rights violations, highlighting his commitment to using his platform for greater good.
Salis who has already made history by becoming the first black African to travel to both the Arctic and Antarctic divides within a single season, said: “The prospect that I will be part of this historic space adventure brings for me, one of the greatest excitements I could ever imagine.
“This is not just an adventure, but an adventure of all adventures. Beyond the fun, I look up to this epic journey with joyous trepidation to behold the mystery of the universe, in its immeasurable breathe-taking grandeur and immensity as a medium to appreciate the illimitable omnipotence of the Supreme Creator of all things; to fear him, and be close to him, more than ever before. Therefore I look up to this coming experience, more than any other thing as something to open a great vista in spiritual awakening, making me more sober and nearer to Soul Maker, the Creator of life, who made all things.”
He added: “This only serves to remind me of the other time I travelled to the North and South Pole, and I was being greeted from every direction as a history maker, by some hailing me as the first Nigerian, while others said I was the first Black African to ever achieve that feat. Well, whatever it is, it was primarily for me, an adventure in knowledge, to broaden the vista on the mystifying diversity of nature and the inscrutable puzzle and immensity of the Creator and the unfathomable depth and profoundity of the universe.”
Asked to compare his Polar travel with the prospective exploration of the space, he said: “Exciting both, but the space is something else.It’s simply out of this world. Of course the difference is so clear. They are two different worlds apart,but the space promises an entirely novel experience. I just can’t wait for the grand take-off.
According to the Blue Origin press release, “Salis is an attorney and a financial consultant. He is the author of Equitocracy, which presents a vision for democracy that prioritizes equity among diverse groups. He is also a key member of The Soul Maker Ministry, which preaches diversity given the diverse nature of the universe. He is dedicating this mission to victims of discrimination and civil rights violations”.
—-