Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said this was to ensure their health would not be jeopardised before the launch on Oct 10.

Only medical and training officials are allowed any physical contact with 35-year-old Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and 27-year-old Dr Faiz Khaled.

"They commute between the Cosmonaut Hotel and the launch area at the Cosmodrome. Their activities and movements are strictly controlled to safeguard their safety and health," he said before leaving for Russia last night.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar is a member of the first crew with Russian Yuri Malechenko and American Peggy Whitson while Dr Faiz is part of the second crew with Russian Sharizan Sharipov and American Michael Fincke.

Jamaludin said the astronauts were required to undergo last-minute training like carrying out repeats of the take-off procedures.

"They are also taught how to handle emergencies. They have been trained to adapt themselves to the conditions at the International Space Station (ISS), including the eating and sleeping times," he said.

Jamaludin said the time at the ISS would be based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

"If the astronauts sleep at 8pm GMT, it will be 4am Malaysian time," he said.

Jamaludin said the launch activities would begin two days before the Oct 10 take-off.

"From 24 hours before the launch, there will be no communication with both candidates. Communication will only be allowed to navigate the launcher," he said.

Jamaludin said he would convey personal messages from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the astronauts once their rocket had docked at the ISS.

THIS week the world celebrates the anniversaries of two momentous events. One involved outer space; the other inner space. One was about breaking the odds; the other about not breaking, no matter the odds.

It was no easy task choosing a suitable candidate for our ambitious space adventure. Since the process began in October 2003, the number of candidates has been whittled down from 10,000 to 894, 435, 199, 59, 27, 18, 10, eight, four and finally two, with each representing the number that qualified after being put through a series of rigorous screening tests – physical, psychological, psychiatric and technical – plus an interview session to select the final four.  

The four were then sent for an initial one-month stint in Russia's Star City, about 25km northeast of the Russian capital, Moscow, and the site of the famous Yuri Gagarin Aerospace Training Centre, before the Russians decided on the final two. On Sept 29 last year, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Dr Faiz left for Star City for their final intensive training. So what have the two men been up to for the past year?

October 2006 to January 2007 

During the few first few months in the self-contained Star City military zone, the angkasawan settled into a routine that included regular physical training twice a week, medical tests and lessons in subjects like Star Navigation, Spaceflight Theory, Geophysics and Aerospace Biomedicine. 

More importantly, they had to learn the Russian language, for four hours a day, up to five times a week. According to Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, this exercise was perhaps more crucial than most people realise, because communication with the simulator crew and on board the International Space Station (ISS) is all in Russian!  

The angkasawan had to get used to the freezing Russian weather and at –6 or –7°C, not including wind-chill factor, that takes some getting used to. Of course, they also got to hang out with the other cool spacemen from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), ESA (European Space Agency) and JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency). 

"Everyone here is united and focused on one thing, which is to have a successful mission," writes Dr Faiz of the camaraderie between those involved. "It's all about the unity of every human being, regardless of race, religion or nationality. The most poignant lesson I have learnt so far in my short time here has been this: we can only reach for the stars if we are united."

February to May 2007 

The objective of "Winter Survival Training" is simple: during landing, there is no guarantee that the Soyuz capsule will land at the designated spots. It could land in the middle of a Siberian forest during winter, for example, and even though mission control would know through GPS exactly where they are, it would take rescue on average two days to arrive. 

The tough part was braving the cold Russian wilderness for three days and two nights. The angkasawan had to familiarise themselves with the insides of the capsule, specifically the location of the winter suit and the portable emergency NAZ (Nosimiy Avariyniy Zapaz) kit, which includes all necessary survival gear like drinking water, rations, first aid and the ultra-nifty triple barrel gun which fires flares (to guide rescuers to the location) and real bullets (for protection against wild animals, presumably Siberian bears).  

TOMORROW will be the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik satellite launch. The Soviet Union's move shocked the Americans into what was to be a two-horse race for space supremacy between superpowers.

A dozen years later, the US sealed its victory when it sent the Apollo 11 manned mission to the moon. To top that, their astronauts would be walking on the moon.

Back on earth in Ipoh, away from the muscle flexing of the two Cold War rivals, Cikgu Shukor was describing on the blackboard to the 7-year-olds under his charge the Apollo 11 lunar mission. He drew the command module, the landing craft and the lunar surface as we followed the live radio broadcast that was piped into classrooms via the school PA system. We did not know much of what was happening, but we knew it was something momentous for our teacher to dispense with the ABCs.

At home, we had older folks talking about the probability or the impossibility of a lunar landing. We couldn't really understand what was reported in the newspapers, but we knew we were in the midst of an important human achievement.

I am sure the landing has had some impact on many of us that day, and I am sure if we had been older, the significance would have been greater - it was man's journey into the great beyond, into space, into the impossibility of leaving his footprints on moon's surface.

I also remembered going to the museum months later, braving crowds, for a glimpse of the piece of moon rock no bigger than a thumb tack head, which made it to Malaysia courtesy of Nasa and the brave men of Apollo 11.

There was really great excitement on space exploration then, especially among us children, whose imaginations were often littered with images of rockets blasting into space and landing in strange environs.

Till this day, space exploration reminds me of the sense of adventure, the possibilities, and turning conventional wisdom on its head. It heralded a new age in science and technology. It also showed that there would always be room for dreamers among us.

In the next few days, we will be having our space moment, too. One of our two Angkasawan will be blasted into space with the Russian crew and be based at the international space station for over a week. He will be doing some experiments and presumably be contributing to the human knowledge in science.

Invariably, and often too, the question will be asked: why are we spending money to risk the life of a Malaysian by sending him to space? What's in it for me? Our Angkasawan will just be hitching a ride on other people's mission, isn't he?

Some of us will just be too glad with glee to point out that Nasa does not recognise our man as astronaut, despite the fact that the Russians do. Someone pointed out that our spaceman is not a scientist and so this must diminish things a bit.

Well, to that, I would say the US had sent a schoolteacher and other civilians to space before and called them astronauts, regardless.

There were also commentators who claimed that it was costing the country RM1 billion to send someone for the ultimate joy ride. Of course it was a figure they could not substantiate, nor cared to.

Predictably we are too quick to ridicule what we seek to do, because we tend not to look at the bigger picture. We are so used to looking at what will be affecting us as individuals, or our communities, and not much of the country.

Even at the start of this nation, there were those who would seek to tamper visions with their so-called pragmatism. It was said that there were oppositions to the building of Stadium Merdeka, parliament house, highways, the Subang Airport, and later, of course the KLCC, Putrajaya, KLIA, etc., because the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Of course, money could always be spent elsewhere, but there are times when we have to follow our heart to spend where we could be making statements for ourselves and the world.

A nation will be terribly boring and unambitious if it were to be just run by pragmatists and naysayers. There must be the dreamers and visionaries, too, but they should not extend beyond the ostentatious and self-indulgence.

Why do we send our kids to tuition, music class, ballet, taekwondo, art lesson, when deep in our hearts we know they may never be the musical genius, or diva or the scientist or doctor? The money obviously could be better spent elsewhere.

Why do we aspire to dress better or drive a better car or move to a better neighbourhood, when spending less, and not be subjected to mortgages and hire purchase payments, would be more acceptable.

We do so because we are investing in possibilities, to instil a sense of confidence and to remove inhibitions among our charges, and to let them think that everything is possible. We want our kids to know that they can be better, and things could be better, and nothing should be impossible. Truly, really, Malaysia boleh.

Civilisation is often defined by the dreamers, while those who do not, only gripe about what they have become. What is the point of ridiculing, sniping and the outpouring negativism if not to collectively bring each of us down and kill any dreams among us?

Are we small-minded enough not even to have ambitions, to try to test the limits of our abilities and imaginations?

Space has been a confounding beyond, never to be tamed, but the playground of super powers. Now we have an opportunity to be in the sand pit, and we should grab the opportunity and make the best of it.

Truth be said, the money spent to send our Angkasawan to the international space station will truly be money down the drain if we do not capitalise on the programme.

We should use this opportunity to inspire schoolchildren on the adventure beyond, and to look into the possibilities of science and technology.

We should not diminish their idealism by running down the programme, just because we are no longer wide-eyed and eager, but a cynical rumpled curmudgeon who refused to look beyond the confines of our gates.

We need to show our charges of the possibilities of improving beyond what is to be expected of them. Our kids deserve better heroes than foul-mouthed Wayne Rooney or scandal-plagued Britney Spears.

Ultimately, our Angkasawan will be more useful to the country when he is back on earth. The achievements of our Angkasawan may be infectious and inspirational.

But it would be what we make of him when he is back on earth that would prove whether we were right in sending him up into space in the first place.

By just the click of a mouse, students can get an idea of what Malaysia's first astronaut will see in space on Oct 10. 

Google has launched Google Sky recently as a new feature that enables users of Google Earth to view the sky as seen from planet Earth.  

It makes an ideal tool for all Malaysians, especially students, to learn more about space exploration, astronomy, planets and many other parts of the galaxies in line with the National Angkasawan Programme initiated by the Government. 

With Sky, users can now float through the skies via Google Earth.  

This easy-to-use tool enables all users to view and navigate through 100 million stars and 200 million galaxies.  

High resolution imagery and informative overlays create a unique playground for visualising and learning about space.  

As part of the new feature, Google is introducing seven informative layers that illustrate various celestial bodies and events. 

The seven layers are constellations, backyard astronomy, Hubble Space Telescope imagery, moon, planets, users guide to galaxies and life of a star. 

Google Product manager Lior Ron said users could both learn about what they're seeing and tell their own stories. 

"By working with some of the industry's leading experts, we've been able to transform Google Earth into a virtual telescope," he said. 

Former astronaut Sally Ride said Sky was a new feature for anyone who wanted to know more about the universe.  

"I think this is a great tool for satisfying that curiosity," she said. 

To access Sky in Google Earth, users need to download the newest version of Google Earth, available at: http://earth.google.com.

The feature will be available on all Google Earth domains, in 13 languages.  

To learn more, view a demo at http://earth.google.com/sky/skyedu or watch Ride and Google engineer Greg Coombe showcasing some of Sky's capabilities at http://earth.google.com/sky.

IN the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy poured millions of dollars into funding a space programme to land the first man on the Moon by 1970.

In his famous words: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth."

It was the Cold War and the Soviet Union, which launched its first satellite, the Sputnik, into space in 1957, and the United States were involved in an intense space race.

And the world followed closely the proxy race between the two nations to prove scientific superiority and military might.

The Soviet Union seemed to be ahead, and Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space and the first to orbit the Earth in April 1961.

But on July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the lunar surface in the Sea of Tranquility, and his immortal words were:

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

An estimated 450 million global audience heard it live, indirectly declaring the US as the clear winner in the exploration of space.

The lunar landing was such an unusual feat that this great moment in science was doubted by sceptics. Some even called it a hoax, claiming that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration had faked the entire Apollo Moon project by filming it in a movie studio.

According to a 1995 Time Poll and a 1999 Gallop Poll, about six per cent of Americans did not believe that astronauts had walked on the Moon.

The moon walk ignited the interest of other nations in space exploration.

To quote Kennedy again: "...the dramatic achievements in space which occurred in recent weeks should have made clear to us all, as did the Sputnik in 1957, the impact of this adventure on the minds of men everywhere..."

So, too, is the case for Malaysia.

Quite aptly, after 50 years of independence, the country is to witness the blastoff of its first angkasawan to the International Space Station on Oct 10.

Two Malaysian astronauts are now at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to undergo final training before the launch.

The prime minister had said Malaysia is very proud that the Main Crew Commissioning Board has acknowledged that both the Malaysian astronaut candidates have passed with distinction and are qualified to represent the country in its first mission to space.

"This means that the country has two candidates who can join a space mission at any time when needed and have been accorded recognition by an international astronaut training body," Bernama quoted the prime minister on Sept 24.

The programme to send a Malaysian into space was conceived in 2003 when Russia (one of the republics of the former Soviet Union) agreed to send a Malaysian to the International Space Station as part of Malaysia's RM3.4 billion purchase of 18 Russian-made Sukhoi 30-MKM jet fighters.

However, unlike the space race of before which was an extension of the Cold War, today many nations are jointly involved in space projects, like the International Space Station.

What had started as an intense competition during the Cold War is today seen as partnership, and enmity has been replaced with friendship.

This mirrors very much what Malaysia hopes to achieve, namely firing the minds of even more of its citizens towards peace, while catapulting them into an imaginative orbit of their own.

Jim Burke, a retired Nasa expert working at the International Space University at Strasbourg, France, recently floated the idea of a "space-age Noah's Ark". This idea seeks to have backups of Earth's biological heritage and diversity in a permanently manned lunar facility.

In the event of a global catastrophe, the Ark will serve to reintroduce lost technology, art, history, crops, livestock and, if necessary, even human beings to Earth, according to a report in National Geographic News (Aug 14).

This is not such a far-fetched idea considering that famed scientist Stephen Hawking had warned that life on Earth could soon be wiped out by global warming or nuclear war.

"It is important for the human race to spread out into space for survival of the species," Time (June 26, 2006) cited him as saying.

In this regard, scientists hope to establish a massive library of human civilisation on the moon to protect against the wholesale loss of human achievement in the event that humankind is wiped out on Earth following a cataclysmic chaos.

After all, in the words of the 1937 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, Albert Szent-Gyorgyi: "The Apollo flights demand that the word 'impossible' be struck from the scientific dictionary. They are the greatest encouragement for the human spirit.".

Like all International Space Station (ISS) expedition members, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor's photograph was posted on Nasa's official website. While he looks as handsome as ever in the picture taken at the Johnson Space Centre in Texas, what has upset many Malaysians is his designation.

The Internet has been buzzing, with email flying back and forth, that instead of calling him an astronaut Nasa referred to him as Malaysian "space flight participant", a term reserved for space tourists.

"It was kind of disappointing that Nasa didn't call him an astronaut. He's been through all kinds of tests for so long. Why isn't he recognised as a proper astronaut?" asked Nur Alifah Mohamad Naba, 25.

The photograph of the Expedition 16 crew members shows Sheikh Muszaphar posing with Russia's Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, astronaut Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Léopold Eyharts, astronaut Garrett Reisman and astronaut Dan Tani.

Only Sheikh Muszaphar was not referred to as an astronaut or a cosmonaut. This has led to some confusion over what the designation of our Malaysian space traveller actually is.

American space tourists Dennis Tito, Gregory Olsen and Charles Simonyi, who all paid for their trips into space, were called space flight participants, as were South African Mark Shuttleworth and Iranian Anousheh Ansari.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, an astronaut or cosmonaut "is a person trained by a human space flight programme to command, pilot, or serve as a spacecraft crewman".

Both Malaysian candidates received training for space flight in Russia, but it is unclear whether they received the same training as the Russian cosmonauts.

Sheikh Muszaphar will blast off on Oct 10 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft will dock with the ISS on Oct 12.

While the rest of his teammates on Expedition 16 are slated to remain there until spring next year, he will spend only 10 days there - returning with members of an earlier expedition.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis said titles were of little significance compared with the trip to space.

"Let NASA give him whatever title they want.

What is important is that Russia recognises him as a cosmonaut," he said at a buka puasa event organised by his ministry at the Putra World Trade Centre.

The 35-year-old Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM) medical officer has been named in the primary crew for the Russian Soyuz 15-S mission, which is scheduled for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct 10. 

His two other crewmembers are Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchencko and American Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station (ISS).

However, Dr Muszaphar is not absolutely certain to be the on the space flight. The decision on which of the two Malaysians will be in the final crew will be decided by the Russians at the last minute. 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in announcing this, said the Government was proud that both the Angkasawan candidates passed the training with flying colours. 

"The country has successfully produced two individuals who can participate in space missions at any time when they are needed, and the Government is proud that the Main Crew Commissioning Board has also acknowledged their success."

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Kapt Dr Faiz will leave for Baikonur on Friday to undergo final preparations. 

The plan to send a Malaysian to space was conceived in 2003, when Russia agreed to send a Malaysian to the ISS as part of the RM3.4bil purchase of 18 Russian-made Sukhoi 30-MKM jet fighters.

The Malaysian astronaut will be carrying out experiments on board the ISS related to the growth and characteristics of liver cancer and leukaemia cells, and microbes in space, and the crystallisation of various proteins. 

Since he will also be in space during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the Malaysian astronaut will also be taking along some local delicacies such as rendang to the ISS, where besides carrying out food tests, he will also be sharing Malaysians’ favourite dishes with the rest of the crew. 

Since Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space in 1961, many have followed suit. 

Malaysia joins a long list of countries to have sent their citizens to outer space.

But his biggest fans remain his parents, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Shukor, 71, and Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad, 61, who are beaming with joy over their son's achievements.

Never once doubting that his son would eventually be chosen over the thousands of other candidates, Sheikh Mustapha even wrote a book, The First Malaysian Astronaut - My Son.

"We just kept on praying for him. I told him, don't think of failure, you will be the first astronaut, and I asked him to believe this," he said.

Sheikh Mustapha is a housing developer while his wife is a housewife.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, 35, is close to his four brothers. Of his brothers, Sheikh Ahmad, 37, is a lawyer, Sheikh Taufik, 36, and Sheikh Arwiz, 29, are accountants, while Sheikh Mustapha, 32, is an engineer.

On the other astronaut, Capt Dr Faiz Khaleed, Sheikh Mustapha said his son thought of him as a younger brother as the two had grown close after several months of training.

Sheikh Mustapha said this was not strange as Dr Sheikh Muszaphar had asked two of his brothers, the eldest and youngest, to join him in applying when he first heard about the programme.

The trio advanced to the last field of 100 candidates but only Dr Sheikh Muszaphar lasted till the end.

Sheikh Mustapha said his son had always been a leader even from his primary school days, among others being class monitor and school prefect.

He was also active in extra- curricular activities, participating in debate and story-telling competitions. He also emerged champion in a Negri Sembilan state-level swimming tournament.

Sheikh Mustapha said his son was a big fan of Star Trek movies when he was younger and loved reading about space travel.

"One of his favourite books was 'Kenapa? Mengapa' which centred on astronauts and he was inspired by the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin."

On finding a partner for his still single son, the father said with a laugh: "I told him I would be very happy if he met a Russian girl during training and settled down."

He said his son's dream was to join a long-term space programme which would open up more opportunities for space travel.

Both parents were excited about going to Russia for the launch.

For Zuraida, it is an opportunity to be with her son before he leaves. "I am a little afraid, which mother wouldn't be? But he's doing this for the country and I am very proud."

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in making the much anticipated announcement of who between the two Malaysian candidates would join the Soyuz 15-S mission to the International Space Station, said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar was chosen as part of the first crew while Captain Dr Faiz Khaleed, 27, would join the second crew.

However, he said any last minute changes in the selection of candidates would be decided by Russia in the best interest of the mission.

Abdullah said the government was proud of the work done by the Main Crew Commissioning Board to pass both candidates with flying colours, making them eligible for the space mission.

"This means that the nation has produced two Malaysians who can at any time be sent into space when they are needed."

Abdullah at a press conference, telecast live from his office here, said other than Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, the first crew comprised Russian Yuri Malechenko and American Peggy Whitson.

Dr Faiz's mates in the second crew are Russian Shari-zan Sharipov and American Michael Fincke.

As both had qualified for the mission, the two Malaysians will be at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, from Friday to undergo final training before the launch at 9.21pm (Malaysian time) on Oct 10.

The space crew will spend about 10 days at the International Space Station, 402km from Earth.

Abdullah said the selection was on the recommendation of the selection committee, chaired by Tun Hanif Omar, based on a meeting of the working committee of the Russian Intergovernmental Board and the final assessment report on the preparation of the Soyuz 15-S mission by the Russian space agency.

The programme to send a Malaysian into space was conceived in 2003 when Russia agreed to it as part of Malaysia's RM3.4 billion purchase of 18 Russian-made Sukhoi 30-MKM jet fighters.

The two potential astronauts were chosen from 11,275 candidates screened by the Malaysian National Space Agency since 2003.

The Malaysian selected is expected to conduct scientific research on the effect of weightlessness on cancer cells in space.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said anything could happen at the 11th hour that could result in a change of crew for the mission.

"Remember, the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, was not the first choice but was chosen at the last minute because the primary choice came down with measles.

"In this mission, if any one of the crew members cannot make it, the whole crew will have to be pulled out," he said, adding that the final decision on the crew would be determined by the Russian mission director later.

He said the government planned to telecast the launch live over all local television stations.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Dr Faiz, undergoing a 12-month training at the Yuri Gagarin Aerospace Training Centre at Star City in Moscow, would be informed of the announcement.

This will also be the first time that a Muslim astronaut is expected to fast in outer space as the mission coincides with Ramadan.