Dr Sheikh Muszaphar And Dr Faiz Khaleed Selected As Astronauts.
They were chosen from 11,000 applicants since the Malaysian National Space Agency (ANGKASA) started the screening campaign for programme in 2003. Dr Sheikh Muszaphar,34, is attached to Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM), while Kapt Dr Faiz, 26, is with the Malaysian Defence Forces. Both who are bachelors, were selected by the Astronaut Selection Panel headed by former Inspector General of Police Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar.
Both Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Kapt Dr Faiz will leave for the Yuri Gagarin Aerospace Training Centre at Star City in Moscow end of the month. The professional training which the two finalists of Malaysia's astronaut programme will go through in Russia will qualify them as professional astronauts, allowing them to join a programme organised by the United States or other European nations. Only one Malaysian astronaut will be chosen to rocket into space.
The successful candidate is scheduled to leave for the international space station (ISS) on Sept 2 next year to undergo a research and development (R&D) programme, including research on cancer and biotechnology. Malaysia's first astronaut will board Russia's space launcher Soyuz 2 before it is finally connected to the international space station. At the station, he will spend six to eight days to carry out research in science and technology for the benefit of the Malaysian space science industry before returning to earth.
On April 27, the two candidates together with two others, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) pilot Mohamed Faiz Kamaluddin, 34, and an engineer, the sole woman candidate, S. Vanajah, 35, left for Moscow for training at the Russian Space Agency (RSA). The four candidates underwent training from the physical, physiological and psychological aspects.
The local astronaut programme came about following the purchase of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKN jetfighters from Russia worth US$1 billion (about RM3.4 billion) and in reciprocity, the Russian government offered one seat for a Malaysian astronaut to join their astronauts in an expedition to the ISS next year.
More on the subject here: Astronaut Aspirants Full Of Hope For Glory.
posted by The Malaysian. at 9/04/2006 01:18:00 PM
6 Comments:
My congratulations to our wira2 negara who have gone through every trial and come out tops. It is a great day for all of our peoples. May Allah swt watch and protect you from all danger.
bangga negara, I'm sure all Malaysians join you in wishing the very best to our astronauts. It must have been an ardous task to have gone through all that training and heading the selection list. Congrats to them.
congrats to both of em..
i heard theres a fc for dr.sheikh at friendster..
da add is sms_friendster_fc@yahoo.com if not mistaken..
i think it will be wonderful if the other astronaut chosen was a non-malay.out of 11K candidates,I am confident there must be chinese or indians who applied for this once in a life time opp.I am a malay myself,and in my understanding,Malaysia is made of all races,not only malays.it will be a huge step to gain more intergrity and trust in our multi-cultural community.so much for 50 years of independence eh?i am not on anybody's side,i am just thinking of the long term effect this may have on our community.to overlook matters like this could only generates more anger and frustrations from the non-malays.and therefore divide us even more.
Dear Abdul
Wake up and smell the Hommous. Dr Mus is an Arab and not a Malay! Do you consider anyone who traces his ancestral origin to a country further than China as a 'Malay'?
In that case let us just say that Osama Bin Laden is a Malay! After all he has a 'BIN' attached to his name!
Anak Al-Arab
Vive le Arab...
Muszaphar Al Masrie Al Arabo
(you rock!)
haha. pity the Malays but try harder. its ok.
Arabs should stand up and not hide behind the Malays' shadow. If not, strip the Syeds or Sheikhs or Al-Masrie (for e.g) from your name.
This aint racism. Im encouraging the Arabs to stand up. and be like One!!!
Alla Ma3akon.
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