In 2024, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) signed an MoU with the US-based SERA (Space Exploration & Research Agency) to send Nigeria’s first astronaut to space aboard a Blue Origin suborbital flight.

Prerequisites:

• Institutional & political interest and support for human spaceflight 

• Partnerships with established agencies 

• Existence of technological capabilities and infrastructure in national ecosystem (space agency, industry or academia) to conduct R&D for space exploration technologies.

• Lead agency & budget

• Procurement pathway

• Partner support as needed

Cost:

Lite contributions such as hosting ground infrastructure, astronaut training/seat on suborbital flights

• Ballpark: USD 5M–50M

• Includes: site preparation and hosting agreements for ground stations or tracking facilities, procurement of astronaut training or suborbital seat access, national coordination and outreach, staff training, international partnership management

Full contributions such as payloads for robotic missions, participation in lunar or Mars missions

• Ballpark: USD 50M–500M

• Includes: co-funding of mission development (orbiters, rovers, landers), design and testing of national payloads/instruments, astronaut training and long-duration mission participation, ground segment development, integration into international exploration consortia

Timeframe:

Lite contributions

• Overall 24–48 mo

• Phase: partnership negotiations (6–12 mo), infrastructure/payload preparation (12–18 mo), execution (6–12 mo), follow-up and data exploitation (6–12 mo)

Full contributions

• Overall 60–120 mo

• Phase: partnership establishment and scoping (12–24 mo), payload/mission development (24–48 mo), integration & testing (12–24 mo), launch/mission operations (12–24 mo)

Pros:

• Expands Access to Missions - Enables participation in human and robotic missions that may be unachievable alone due to advanced technology needs or launch capacity limits.

• Shares Burden Across Partners - Complementary cooperation reduces financial, technical, and human resource burdens.

• Boosts International Standing - Visible contributions to global missions enhance the nation’s reputation in the space community.

Considerations:

• Requires Strategic Alignment - Objectives, timelines, and priorities may differ across nations, making coordination and partner selection challenging.