United States-based Nigerian lawyer, Mr Owolabi Salis, made history as the first Nigerian to travel to space, following his participation in Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, which launched from West Texas on June 29, 2025.
In a recent interview on the TVC programme Your View, Salis described the extraordinary journey as a spiritual pilgrimage, not just scientific feat.
The mission, operated by Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, Blue Origin, included six space tourists.
“I was not scared. I embarked on this journey as a pilgrimage. I believe pilgrimage is not confined to one region. It’s about observing the wonders of creation,” he said.
Having already travelled to over 100 countries, including Greenland, the North Pole, and the South Pole, Salis said space was the next frontier in his quest to deepen his spiritual consciousness and connect with the divine.
He shared that his confidence stemmed from his deep-rooted belief in the Soulmaker Ministry, a spiritual movement focused on understanding the origins of the soul.
“The soul is the first root of life. Without it, there’s no life. It’s the invisible key that connects us to the divine. The Lord of the universe gives it in its purest form,” he explained.
On the build-up to the historic flight, Salis revealed that he and the other space tourists underwent intensive training at Astronaut Village in Texas.
The original launch, scheduled for June 21, was postponed due to high winds and solar solstice conditions. After multiple weather-related delays, the mission finally took off on June 29, under calmer skies.
As part of pre-launch protocol, passengers were asked to use the restroom for the last time several hours before lift-off and wear diapers throughout the flight.
For spiritual protection and personal tradition, Salis carried alligator pepper and bitter kola into the spacecraft.
“When you’re doing something serious, those items help keep you focused. The moment the rocket launched, you could feel it move—not dangerously—but you knew something powerful was happening.”
Describing his emotional experience in space, Salis said the Earth quickly began to look like a suspended ball, floating in the vast darkness of the universe.
“Everything was floating—even the seatbelt. Once you remove the belt, you start floating like a bird. I used that moment to pray for the peace of the planet, for my family, and for humanity,” he said.
From his cosmic vantage point, Salis said he gained a renewed perspective on spirituality, rejecting traditional conceptions of God across various religions.
“Nobody has seen the Lord of the universe—and nobody will. It’s not the God of the Bible, not the Allah of the Quran, not Oduduwa, not Zeus or Shiva. The true Lord of the universe is beyond human definition,” he stated.
The Nigerian astronaut said the experience confirmed his belief in the unseen, all-powerful force that gives life through the soul.
