The Students for the Exploration and Development of Space in the Philippines (SEDS Philippines) has started a wave of excitement on social media as it launched a campaign to secure a coveted spot for the first Filipino astronaut in space.
The initiative, spearheaded by SERA Space in collaboration with Blue Origin, promises a historic opportunity for one lucky individual to participate in a sub-orbital flight, marking a significant milestone for the Philippines in space exploration.
“We have the chance to send the first Filipino to space!” reads the post from SEDS Philippines. “With enough pre-registrations from the Philippines, we can secure a seat for a FILIPINO! Anyone over 18 years old will then be able to apply and become the first-ever Filipino to go to space.”
The official website of SERA Space, billed as a “SPACE AGENCY FOR EVERYONE,” highlights the transformative mission of democratizing access to space exploration. Highlighting the glaring disparity in astronaut representation among nations, SERA Space reaffirms its commitment to inclusivity and diversity in the cosmos.
“Over 80% of all astronauts have come from just 3 nations. We are changing that,” reads a statement on the SERA website. “Our next mission is about making space accessible to everyone.”
According to SERA Space, this is not the first time that they are doing the said initiative. They detailed the historic voyage of Victor Hespanha, who soared into the celestial expanse aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket in June of 2022.
For the upcoming mission, SERA has reserved six coveted seats on a New Shepard launch.
What do you think ka-TFT? Will you seize this chance to send the first Filipino into space?
