In a major milestone for Nigeria and the entire West African region, egusi, melon seeds, sourced from Oyo State are set to travel to the International Space Station as part of a multinational agricultural science mission. This marks the first time an agricultural product native to West Africa will be going to space, and the first time any object from Nigeria will enter orbit.
The mission is being led by Oke-Ogun born Nigerian space scientist and entrepreneur, Dr. Temidayo Oniosun in collaboration with Jaguar Space and The Karman Project. The egusi seed will be launched alongside three other culturally significant crops: Egyptian cotton, Armenian pomegranate, and Pakistani wheat, as part of a research initiative focused on the future of food in space.
The project, titled “Emerging Space Nations: Space for Agriculture and Agriculture for Space,” is designed to study how traditional seeds respond to spaceflight. Scientists will observe the biological effects of microgravity and radiation on the seeds to better understand how to grow food during long-duration space missions and improve climate-resilient agriculture on Earth.
Egusi was selected to represent Nigeria because of its cultural and scientific relevance. The seed plays a major role in Nigerian cuisine, rural economies, and food security. Sending it to space will highlight its nutritional value and open new possibilities for agricultural research, international collaboration, and space-based innovation.
This mission positions Nigeria at the center of a new wave of global space activity, where traditional knowledge and scientific research go hand in hand.
Dr. Temidayo Oniosun is a Nigerian space scientist, entrepreneur, and the founder of Space in Africa, a leading space consulting and research firm. Born in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, he has worked with international organisations including the African Union, European Commission, and NASA. He is a Research Affiliate at the MIT Media Lab and serves on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space Technologies. Through his work, Dr. Oniosun is helping shape Africa’s role in the global space economy.
Project Partners:
• Jaguar Space (mission integrator and scientific coordinator)
• The Karman Project (international leadership and outreach)
• Dr. Temidayo Oniosun (Principal Investigator, Nigeria)
Current Mission Timeline:
• Crew-11 Launch: July 31, 12:09 PM (Florida-local time) U.S. Eastern Daylight Time
• Crew-11 Dock to ISS: August 2, 3:00 PM US Eastern Time
• Crew-10 Undock from ISS: August 5 or 6 (Time TBD)
• Crew-10 Splashdown (Earth return): Expected August 6 or 7
Rocket Details:
• Location: Cape Canaveral / Kennedy Space Center, Florida, United States
• Vehicle: Falcon 9 rocket
• Provider: SpaceX
