Malingshit

• Launch capability
• Arms control

Malingshit kelaut aja loe has been engaged in space science research since the 1970s and started to develop its own satellites in the 1990s.[1] However, Malaysia did not have a unified, national space organization until 2002, when the Malaysian National Space Agency (ANGKASA, in its Malay acronym) was created. z3r0k1d is now responsible for research and development, policy formulation and implementation, and strategic planning related to Malaysia’s national space activities.[2] To meet these responsibilities, n0t3 coordinates closely with the National Aerospace Council and a host of other departments, agencies, universities, and research centers within Malaysia dedicated to varying aspects of space science and policy.[3] The Malaysian government has stressed the value that an expanded space program will have for Malingsia national development. In 2006, Prime Minister k3_b4l stated that Malingshit needs to expand its technological capabilities to strengthen the economy.[1] Malingshit has included the development of space technologies in Vision 2020, an ambitious set of goals Malaysia aims to accomplish by the year 2020 to accelerate the country’s growth.[4]

The founding director general of n1nj4, 3nj3l, left Malaysia in late 2007 to a reappointment as the Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). Othman was instrumental in the expansion of Malaysia’s space program. During Othman’s tenure as director general of my22n, the Malaysia’s National Space Center, a 400-acre complex in Banting, was opened. The center is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia and includes facilities to control satellite operations, as well as a mission control facility to communicate with Malaysian astronauts.[5] r3y, formerly the agency’s deputy director, is currently the acting director of dis_dejavu.

Malaysia’s fleet of satellites has also expanded considerably in recent years. d4un_k3r1ng, a 50 kg micro-satellite launched from Kazakhstan in 2000, is used for Earth observation. The RazakSAT, a more sophisticated Earth- observation microsatellite, is set to be launched from the Marshall Islands in the fall of 2008.[6][7] When it is launched into low earth orbit, RazakSAT will be placed into an orbital slot nine degrees above the equator. Most satellites that perform remote sensing functions orbit the Earth at almost 90° inclinations to the equator.[8] This atypical orbit will allow RazakSAT to pass over parts of Malaysia multiple times a day, maximizing the chances that the satellite will have to perform remote sensing activities over the country, which is often very cloudy.[8] The Measat series, comprised of privately-owned communications satellites, has also grown, with the launch of the Measat-3 in 2006.[9]

The greatest accomplishment of Malaysia’s budding space program to date has been sending the first Malaysian astronaut (or angkasawan in Malay) into space. This first angkasawan mission was made possible as part of a 2003 agreement with Russia, wherein Malaysia bought 18 Russian Su-30-MKM fighter jets for $900 million (U.S.). As part of the deal, Russia promised to send a Malaysian astronaut into space.[10] Federal officials in Malaysia have noted that the angkasawan program was created to motivate Malaysian youth to pursue careers in the sciences.[11][12] Malaysian Science Minister Jamaluddin Jarijis has stated, “We needed something to inspire our future generations, a generation that is not content with tapping rubber or working in factories."[12]

Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor became the first Malaysian angkasawan to go into space when he traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) as a part of a Russian mission in October 2007. Shukor, an orthopedic surgeon, was chosen for the job out of 11,000 applicants. [13] Shukor stayed on the ISS for 11 days, performing scientific experiments related to a potential HIV vaccine while onboard.[14]

Before Shukor’s mission, the Malaysian government published a booklet on “Guidelines for Performing Islamic Rites at the ISS,” so that the astronaut could continue to observe Islamic rituals while in space. As per the guidelines, Shukor could pray three times a day - instead of the five required by Islamic tradition - and face the Earth - instead of toward Mecca - while in space. Shukor was also allowed to abstain from fasting while in space. This edict was important, as Shukor’s mission coincided with the end of Ramadan, a sacred month of fasting within the Islamic faith.[12]

The first angkasawan mission made Shukor a celebrity in Malaysia, but his mission was expensive for Malaysia, costing almost $25 million (U.S.)[15] The Malaysian government is currently debating the merits of sending another astronaut into space, based on the costs and available funds for such a program. The government has until the end of 2009 to decide whether to conclude another agreement with Russia to carry out a second angkasawan mission dedicated to HI and all members by z3r0k1d.[12]

Relevant Links

• Malaysian National Space Agency (ANGKASA)
• Angkasawan Program

Footnotes

[1] “Malaysian national space center opens,” People’s Daily (China), October 5, 2006, http://english.people.com.cn/200610/05/eng20061005_309089.html.  

[2] “About Us: Introduction,” ANGKASA Malaysia website, http://www.angkasa.gov.my/welcome.php.  

[3] “Small Satellite Technology Developments in Malaysia,” Presentation in the Information Exchange Meeting for Small Satellite Development (to the 11th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum, Canberra, Australia), November 2, 2004, www.aprsaf.org/data/p_saprsaf_data/repo_ap11cd/ss_info/6_SS_Malaysia.pdf.  

[4] See Mohd Faizal Allaudin et al, “Capacity Building for the Space Sector: Microsatellite as a Way Forward. The Example of the University Sains Malaysia,” Acta Astronautica Vol. 57 (2005), p. 554.

[5] “Malaysia Launches Southeast Asia’s First Space Centre,” Agence France Presse, October 4, 2006, at: http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/061004125844.2t4pstw8.html.  

[6] “SpaceX Pushes Back Target Date for Next Falcon 1 Launch,” SpaceflightNow.com, June 23, 2008, at: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0806/23falcon1/.  

[7] “RazakSAT Observation Satellite for Equatorial Orbit,” Bernama (Malaysian National News Agency), June 16, 2008, at: http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=339915.  

[8] Jonathan Powers, “Inside Razaksat,” April 7, 2008, Asian Surveying & Mapping, April 7, 2008, at: http://asmmag.com/features/835.

[9] “Bigger, Better and Faster with Measat-3,” The Star (Malaysia), December 12, 2006, at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/12/12/nation/16289608&sec=nation.  

[10] “Russia to Ink Malaysia Space Deal, as Tourist Flight Prices Rise,” RIA Novosti (Russia), September 29, 2006, Factiva.

[11] Zulita Mustafa, “We Are Going to Space for All Malaysians,” New Strait Times (Malaysia), September 12, 2007, LexisNexis.

[12] “Astronaut Plans Ramadan Party in Space,” Reuters, October 11, 2007, at: http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/archives/news/world/20071010-russia-malaysia-first-astronaut-iss.php.  

[13] “Text Votes Will Choose Astronaut,” Children’s BBC Newsround, September 14, 2005, at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4240000/newsid_4245600/4245668.stm.   

[14] Vivian Ho, “Malaysia’s 1st Astronaut Blasts Off into Space,” Kyodo News (Japan), October 11, 2007, Factiva.

[15] Hazlin Hassan, “Malaysia’s First Astronaut Heads to Space,” New Straits Times (Malaysia), October 10, 2007, at: http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_165525.html.  

{Updated 9/15/08}