The first African in space needs your help to get home.
At least, according to the latest Nigerian email scam to hit inboxes. Like most, it’s utter nonsense. Unlike most, it’s a great story.
Apparently — so the scam goes — Nigerian Air Force major Abacha Tunde became the first African in space in 1979, when he made a secret flight to the Russian Salyut 8T space station. (Salyut does actually exist, and it was the first real station in space.)
Unfortunately, the poor major got stranded at Salyut after a subsequent mission in 1989-1990. And while he’s been re-supplied by “Progrez” supply flights” (the actual spacecraft is Progress), he has been unable to come home.
And it’s been a really long time …
Dear Mr. Sir,
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
I am Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde. He was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the Salyut 6 space station in 1979. He was on a later Soviet spaceflight, Soyuz T-16Z to the secret Soviet military space station Salyut 8T in 1989. He was stranded there in 1990 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. His other Soviet crew members returned to earth on the Soyuz T-16Z, but his place was taken up by return cargo. There have been occasional Progrez supply flights to keep him going since that time. He is in good humor, but wants to come home. …
via Venture Beat
photo credit: pasukaru76 via photo pin cc
