Six seats are reserved on an upcoming Blue Origin New Shepard flight: 5 seats for citizens of countries with few or no astronauts, 1 global seat for everyone else.
The leaderboard in Phase 1 does not decide who flies. It boosts visibility.
The decisive selection starts in Phase 2 (Collective Action) and concludes in Phase 3 (Crew Selection), with community voting.
SpaceDust (SD) is the in‑app currency that powers your journey: it fuels leaderboards and rewards, influences visibility, and supports future SERA missions beyond this program.

1) What is SERA?

SERA is an acronym for Space Exploration & Research Agency. It’s the space agency built for YOU. We exist to launch the next generation into space, with missions and opportunities.

In 2022, community member Victor Hespanha was selected to fly aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard, becoming the first Latin American civilian astronaut. Building on this milestone, SERA has partnered again with Blue Origin for a dedicated human spaceflight program: six seats are reserved for our community on an upcoming mission.

5 seats for citizens of nations with few or no astronauts*.
1 seat open to everyone else**.
The final crew is chosen by the community. At SERA, we call it The Collective.
SERA astronauts will also perform relevant scientific experiments while in microgravity.
Eligibility: Humans 18+ who want to participate in space science.

The Astronaut Selection campaign runs through the SERA Mission Control app on Telegram, your command center for profiles, badges, SpaceDust, leaderboards, pledging, and voting.

* Dedicated seats announced so far: Brazil, India, Nigeria, Thailand. The final nation/region is yet to be announced.

** Excluding US-sanctioned nations/regions: Crimea, Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria

2) Program Overview

The astronaut program unfolds across three phases. Each phase introduces new mechanics and goals.

Phase 1 — Astronaut Candidacy: Official start of campaigns. Build your community and get visibility on the global leaderboard. Collect SpaceDust to acquire the Astronaut Candidate Badge (available mid‑Phase 1, value defined at that point as a function of community size and activity).
Phase 2 — Collective Action: KYC verification and national/regional leaderboards*; Community pledging determines ranking; national/regional voting selects Top 3 per nation/region: the finalists.
Phase 3 — Crew Selection: finalists form crews of Astronaut Candidates (one from each nation/region per crew). Training experience and challenges are broadcast online; the Collective votes for the best crew. The winning crew flies.

Important: Leaderboard in Phase 1 is preliminary, ranking members of the Collective by SpaceDust. Seats in the rocket are not granted at this stage. The decisive process happens in Phases 2–3.

Timelines: Exact durations are not defined. Expect Phase 1 to occupy most of the campaign (its end will be announced two weeks prior), Phase 2 to be shorter, and Phase 3 to happen quickly as we broadcast updates online. Dates are subject to change, but the mission is designed to progress soon, over a few months overall. SERA wouldn’t launch the program without a flight on the horizon. It will occur shortly after the astronauts' selection.

* Thailand is not included. The Thai Astronaut Selection process is the result of a partnership with TrueVisions NOW through our existing collaboration with CreAsia Studio to produce a Reality TV Show - 'Race To Space: Thailand' to find the first Thai Astronaut. The timing, sequence, and logic of the selection process will be different from the other five seats, as it will be run in collaboration with True Visions. If you're not from Thailand, this does not directly affect you. The partnership is a huge step forward for SERA as a whole, laying the foundation for future flights in more Nations and helping us to successfully execute the current Mission.

3) SpaceDust (SD): What It Is and Why It Matters

SpaceDust (SD) is the core in‑app currency that powers the astronaut program and future SERA experiences.

3.1 Earning SpaceDust

Complete challenges and unlock badges: Fill out your profile and generate your unique SERA ID, invite friends to the Mission Control app, connect your social media accounts, create content on connected social media, get views, and much more.
Social media views: Earn SpaceDust by getting views on your posts with #SERASpace on your connected social media accounts..
Referral bonus: Get 250 SpaceDust for every friend who joins using your link, and 1,000 SpaceDust when they share their first #SERASpace post on their connected social media. The more friends who join and post, the more rewards you collect! 🚫 No shortcuts, though! Our systems can detect botting. Anyone caught trying to game the system by adding bots as friends will be disqualified without notice.
App tasks & new activities: Additional SpaceDust‑earning paths inside the app will roll out to balance opportunities (so success isn’t limited to social media activity only). Stay tuned to SERA's Telegram channel for announcements and updates: https://t.me/seraspaceage
Quality over quantity: Inviting inactive/unengaged friends doesn’t help much: they won’t generate SpaceDust or become powerful supporters later.

When you share content on your connected social media accounts and tag #SERASpace (or any other approved hashtags), your post starts generating SpaceDust based on the number of views it receives.

Updates to SpaceDust balances and badges related to social media content happen periodically (currently every 24 h), not in real time.

All content must follow our Social Media Posting Guidelines (see Section 3.1.2), otherwise, any SpaceDust earned will be removed. Remember: your posts should tell the story of your candidacy and help build the SERA community. A strong narrative and community support are key to advancing in the astronaut selection process.

Once you connect your account, it can only be disconnected if you haven't generated any SpaceDust through it.

Platforms:

1) YouTube

Views on long-form videos, livestreams, and Shorts earn SpaceDust.
Add #SERASpace to the description of long-form videos and livestreams.
For Shorts, add #SERASpace to the title.

2) X/Twitter

Views on tweets with #SERASpace earn SpaceDust. We recommend adding the hashtag at the top of the post so that it is indexed properly.
No SpaceDust for threads or replies.

3) Telegram

Views on messages tagged #SERASpace in a Telegram Channel you own or administrate earn you SpaceDust.
Connect your channel in the app by adding the SERA Mission Control bot as an admin so we can track your posts.

4) Instagram

Views on reels tagged #SERASpace in the caption earn SpaceDust.

5) TikTok

Views on your videos tagged #SERASpace in the caption earn SpaceDust.

6) Facebook: Integration coming soon.

✨Earning SpaceDust from content:

SpaceDust from your connected social media views is awarded using a system of diminishing returns. The initial views on a post are the most valuable, with the SpaceDust earned from subsequent views decreasing as the total number of views increases. The system keeps the campaign dynamic, encouraging continuous creativity. Viral posts still bring a bonus, but no one can gain an unbeatable lead just because of one big hit.

How it works:

Initially, SpaceDust earnings are 1:1 with views.
After reaching a certain threshold (currently 10,000 views), rewards continue but with diminishing returns, following a logarithmic formula:

SD = SpaceDust awarded for a post's views; T = Threshold; A = Scaling Factor; B = Diminishing Returns Factor; NV = Number of views received by the post

Each post can generate SpaceDust for up to 72 hours after publication. Following that, new views no longer count.

👉 Pro Tips: Post regularly, be authentic, and engage your audience. Fresh, creative content over time will outperform one-off spikes.

📝Note: Performance metrics are sourced directly from the official APIs of the social media platforms, and rewards are allocated strictly based on the data provided. Any discrepancies between the values displayed on your social media dashboard and the rewards granted may be attributed to how each platform processes, aggregates, or distributes its data. Please note that SERA has no control over the way these metrics are generated and reported by the platforms.

We need your help to ensure the social media you post with the intent to earn SpaceDust is helping build a healthy community. It must also reflect the mission and values of the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA). We've noticed an increase in posts using #SERASpace that are not related to the Mission.

Guidelines

In order to earn SpaceDust, all content using approved hashtags must be directly related to the SERA mission, whether your own candidacy or the Mission as a whole, helping build the community.
Do not use #SERASpace on posts unrelated to our mission. This includes personal events, political commentary, or generic content.
Do not post misleading or unverified information. All content should be factual and accurate.
In your posts using #SERASpace, do not add any other trending hashtags unrelated to SERA.
Do not use automated tools or bots to artificially increase your engagement or number of posts on social media.
The maximum number of posts per week allowed is 100 for each social media platform. More than that will be considered spamming.

*SERA reserves the right to remove SpaceDust rewards from any posts or campaigns that appear to circumvent or exploit the guidelines outlined above.

If you come across a post that doesn’t follow these rules, you can report it here: https://forms.gle/3Z5gmnDw9dqQWgpV8. It's quick and anonymous.

Unrelated x Related examples

The difference is simple: posts about space exploration are welcome, but they must connect to SERA’s mission and/or your candidacy to earn SpaceDust.

Consequences for Misuse

First Instance: We will send a friendly reminder about our guidelines, and we will remove SpaceDust from your account earned from posts in breach of these guidelines.
Repeated Misuse: Repeatedly violating these terms may result in a disqualification from the Astronaut selection process.

By following these guidelines, you help us maintain a strong, unified voice that truly represents the SERA mission and helps build a vibrant, growing community.

3.2 Using SpaceDust

Phase 1: Acquire the Astronaut Candidate Badge (available mid‑Phase 1, value defined at that point as a function of community size and activity).
Phase 2: Pledge SD to support candidates (including yourself). Rankings depend on community pledges, not merely your own SD balance.
Visibility & credibility: In Phase 1, the leaderboard reflects SD and brings attention to your campaign; visibility helps you attract supporters for Phases 2–3.
Beyond this program: SD also unlocks perks, items, and experiences across SERA, supporting a long‑term, community‑driven space agency beyond a single mission.

Bottom line: Collecting SD is valuable not because it guarantees a seat, but because it unlocks access (e.g., the Astronaut Candidate Badge), amplifies your visibility, and enables pledging and influence as the selection becomes community‑driven.

4) Badges

Badges are achievements unlockable through challenges in the app. They mark milestones and expand your influence. Major examples:

Fill out your profile and generate your SERA ID.
Verify your email and connect your social accounts.
Create posts, get views, and invite friends- crossing milestones at different levels.
Astronaut Candidate Badge (Phase 1): Unlocks access to Phase 2 national/regional leaderboards. Available mid‑Phase 1, value defined at that point as a function of community size and activity.
More badges: New badges and ways to earn SD will constantly be introduced, rewarding engagement inside the app (balancing social media activity gains).

Voting Power: Members’ voting power in Phases 2–3 depends on their level, which is determined by the total number of badges they have unlocked.

5) Leaderboards

There are two kinds of leaderboards across the journey:

1) Global Visibility Leaderboards (Phase 1):

Based on the total SpaceDust accumulated.
Purpose: visibility, credibility, and momentum.
Do not determine who flies.

2) Regional Selection Leaderboards (Phase 2):

Candidates (with Astronaut Candidate Badge + completed KYC) are placed on six regional leaderboards (one per seat and region).
Rankings are driven by SpaceDust pledged by The Collective (plus any you pledge to yourself).
Top 10 in the regional leaderboards at the end of Phase 2 enter a regional vote.

Key Clarification: A high leaderboard rank in Phase 1 helps you get noticed and mobilize support — but it does not equal a seat. The decisive stages are pledging (Phase 2) and voting (Phases 2–3), where The Collective has the voice to decide who is going to space.

6) The Phases in Detail

Phase 1: Astronaut Candidacy

Goal: Collect SpaceDust to unlock the Astronaut Candidate Badge (available mid‑Phase 1, value defined at that point as a function of community size and activity), and climb the leaderboard. Accumulating SD beyond the badge cost strengthens your position for Phase 2.

Collect SpaceDust by

Creating your profile and generating your SERA ID (your access pass across SERA).
Inviting your crew via your unique referral link. You’ll get 250 SpaceDust for every friend who joins using your link, and 1,000 SpaceDust when they share their first #SERASpace post on their connected social media. The more friends who join and post, the more rewards you collect! 🚫 No shortcuts, though! Our systems can detect botting. Anyone caught trying to game the system by adding bots as friends will be disqualified without notice.
Posting content with #SERASpace on your connected social accounts to share your campaign and gather supporters.
Completing different tasks to earn SD and unlock new badges to increase your voting power.

Reminder

The leaderboard does not decide who flies. It primarily helps with visibility and credibility as you prepare for Phase 2.

Phase 2: Collective Action

Prerequisites: Astronaut Candidate Badge + KYC process (to verify identity and nationality) for Astronaut Candidates.

Mechanics

Candidates are placed on five national/regional leaderboards (one per seat, excluding Thailand*).
Your rank depends on SpaceDust pledged by The Collective (and what you pledge to yourself) — signaling a shift from individual effort to community support.

Outcomes

Top 10 per region enter a national/regional vote.
Any member can vote, but voting power is based on their level, driven by the total number of badges a member has. Members can only vote for candidates from their nation/region.
Top 3 voted candidates per nation/region advance to the Finals
All pledged SpaceDust is returned to members after Phase 2, so you can still use it to unlock in-app rewards and prepare for future missions.

* The Thai Astronaut Selection process is the result of a partnership with TrueVisions NOW through our existing collaboration with CreAsia Studio to produce a Reality TV Show - 'Race To Space: Thailand' to find the first Thai Astronaut. The timing, sequence, and logic of the selection process will be different from the other five seats, as it will be run in collaboration with True Visions. If you're not from Thailand, this does not directly affect you. The partnership is a huge step forward for SERA as a whole, laying the foundation for future flights in more Nations and helping us to successfully execute the current Mission.

Phase 3: Crew Selection

Finalists are grouped into crews (each crew includes candidates from every nation/region).

Experience

Crews participate in astronaut training experiences and challenges.
These activities are broadcast online, offering insights into performance, teamwork, and readiness.

Decision

The Collective votes for the best crew, reflecting SERA’s belief that space is a team/community-driven effort.
The most‑voted crew becomes SERA’s next Astronaut Class, able to cross the Kárman Line on New Shepard in an upcoming flight to experience spaceflight and conduct meaningful microgravity experiments.

7) Selection Mechanics: Quick Recap

Build momentum (Phase 1): Earn SD, build your crew by sharing your referral link, gain visibility, and unlock badges. A high position on the leaderboard doesn't guarantee a seat.
Unlock access (Mid Phase 1): Use SD to acquire the Astronaut Candidate Badge.
Mobilize your community (Phase 2): Pledging of SD determines national/regional rankings; Top 10 go to national/regional voting.
Advance: Top 3 voted candidates per region move to Finals.
Choose the crew (Phase 3): The Collective votes for the best crew. The winning crew flies to space aboard an upcoming New Shepard launch.

8) Timelines and Flexibility

Exact durations for each phase are not yet fixed.
Phase 1: Longest part of the campaign.
Phase 2: Shorter.
Phase 3: Happens quickly after the online broadcast airs.
Flight: Not scheduled yet. Dates are flexible, but the schedule is designed to have the new SERA Astronauts selected and flown to space soon, over a few months total.

9) Quick Start Checklist

Join SERA Mission Control on Telegram.
Create your profile and claim your SERA ID.
Share your referral link with motivated friends.
Connect your social accounts.
Share your journey by posting with #SERASpace to earn SpaceDust from views.
Keep engaging in‑app to unlock badges, and always stay tuned for new tasks to collect SpaceDust.
Prepare to unlock your Astronaut Candidate Badge mid‑Phase 1.

10) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Check out our FAQ here.

11) Glossary

SERA ID: Your unique identity and access pass across all SERA participation levels.
SpaceDust (SD): In‑app currency used for badges, pledging, visibility, and broader SERA experiences.
Badge: A milestone achievement that can boost SD, unlock access, and increase voting power (total badges matter).
Pledge: Allocating your SD behind a candidate in Phase 2 to elevate their regional ranking.
KYC: Identity and nationality verification required for Phase 2 placement on regional leaderboards.

12) Closing

Only six people will fly, but everyone in the Collective has a voice.

Your story, strategy, and supporters will carry you further than raw numbers. This is only the beginning of a community‑powered space agency. Collect SpaceDust, build your campaign, and get ready for collective action.

The mission begins now, and one of the astronauts can be you.

SERA Mission Control: User Guide