DR SHEIKH MUSZAPHAR SHUKOR & THE ANGKASAWAN PROGRAMME

A Compilation of News, Updates & Press Releases

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Tuesday, 29 January 2008

FAULTY CABLE CAUSED ROUGH RETURN
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By The Press Association

A glitch that subjected two Russian cosmonauts and Malaysia's first space traveller to a rough trip back to Earth was caused by a faulty cable, according to a news agency report citing the head of a spacecraft manufacturer.

RIA-Novosti reported that an inquiry revealed that the incident in October had been caused by a damaged control cable. The news agency quoted Vitaly Lopota, the director of the state RKK Energiya company, which is Russia's top spacecraft manufacturer.

The Soyuz landing capsule carrying Russians cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, and Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, of Malaysia, went down on a steeper-than-usual descent trajectory, the so-called ballistic descent. It subjected the crew to 8.5 times the force of gravity instead of the usual four times the force of gravity.

"It felt like an elephant pressing on my chest, but the Russians trained us very well" to handle a rough descent, Sheikh Muszaphar said shortly after the landing on October 21.

Medical tests showed the three cosmonauts were not injured during the descent, but it took them slightly longer than usual to adapt to Earth conditions.

Lopota said that RKK Energiya has taken steps to prevent such incidents in the future.

Source: The Press Association

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM WST

SPACE OFFICIALS: FAULTY CABLE CAUSED LAST OCTOBER'S ROUGH SOYUZ LANDING
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By CANADIAN PRESS

MOSCOW: A faulty control cable caused last October's rough landing by a Soyuz space capsule.

The glitch subjected two Russian cosmonauts and Malaysia's first space traveller to much higher than normal G-forces on their return to Earth from the International Space Station.

RIA-Novosti new agency quotes a top official of the RKK Energiya company, Russia's top spacecraft manufacturer, as saying steps have since been taken to correct the problem.

Because of the glitch, cosmonauts, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov of Russia, and Malaysian Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, returned to Earth on a steeper-than-usual descent trajectory.

That subjected them to 8.5 times the force of gravity instead of the usual four times.

Sheikh Muszaphar later described the sensation as feeling like an elephant was pressing on his chest.

Medical tests showed the three cosmonauts were not injured during the descent, but it took them slightly longer than usual to adapt to Earth conditions.

Source: Canadian Press Online

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM WST

Tuesday, 23 October 2007

BACK TO EARTH, COSMONAUTS MEET PRESS
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By RT

CREW MEMBERS: Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, Fyodor Yurchikhin & Oleg Kotov.

Two Russian cosmonauts and Malaysia's first space traveller have held their first media conference after returning safely to Earth on Sunday.

The cosmonauts were asked plenty of questions: about scientific experiments carried out in space; about their dislike of cosmic food; and about the Russia-England football match, as they actually got the result from mission control.

Of course the main question was about the ballistic landing and how they felt when coming back to Earth.

The Soyuz spacecraft overcame a rough descent after a technical glitch caused the capsule to follow a steeper than normal path on re-entry.

The cosmonauts said it wasn't totally unexpected and that they were prepared for it and were fine now.

Experts say the so-called ballistic descent is just a back-up method and in no way endangered the cosmonauts' lives or health. Every part of the capsule will be dismantled and checked to make sure that nothing of the kind happens again.

The three crew members are now undergoing a recovery period.

Malaysia's first man in space, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor is getting special attention. He spent eleven days at the ISS, where he carried out different medical and scientific tests.

He said the flight was an unforgettable experience, although he did miss some of the comforts of Earth.

"Most of all I missed the smell of the Earth – the smell of trees, the smell of flowers, because there are none in space. I missed taking showers, because water is very limited in space. But being in space is amazing. Looking at the Earth for the first time in my life, my heart just stopped beating, my eyes stopped blinking. It was a dream come true," he explained

Source: Russia Today

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

Monday, 22 October 2007

DR SHEIKH MUSZAPHAR CALLS DAD AFTER SOYUZ LANDING
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By ABDUL RAHMAN AHMAD

MOSCOW: One of the first things that Malaysian angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor did soon after returning to earth following his 11-day space sojourn was to call his father using a borrowed mobile phone.

Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor said he did not believe that the caller was his son until Dr Sheikh Muszaphar called him "abah" (father in Malay).

"Abah, it's Mus. I'm back safe and sound. Everything's fine," Sheikh Mustapha told reporters of the 10-minute telephone conversation he had with his son.

The Soyuz TMA-10 carrying Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and two others landed in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, at 2.37pm local time (6.37pm Malaysian time) after travelling three hours and 23 minutes from the International Space Station.

"It was a relief to know that he had landed safely with two other cosmonauts," Sheikh Mustapha said when met at the Mission Control Centre here from where he monitored the Soyuz landing.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar's mother, Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad, said mere words could not describe her joy now that her son had returned to earth.

"Now I can sleep soundly again," said Zuraidah who had previously mentioned that she had lost seven kilogrammes ever since her son blasted off into space on Oct 10.

Source: Bernama.com

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

FIRST MALAYSIAN IN SPACE: CHEERS AS SOYUZ LANDS SAFELY
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By ANIS IBRAHIM

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor waving as he emerges from the Soyuz in Kazakhstan yesterday. - REUTERS

BAIKONUR: THE return of Malaysia's first angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor was celebrated in a simple ceremony at the Mission Control Centre yesterday.

The Soyuz TMA-10 landed in Kazakhstan at 6.37pm Malaysian time.

The Malaysian delegation watched anxiously as the seconds ticked by on the giant screens in the main control room.

When the craft landed, applause broke out in the viewing balcony.

Dr Muszaphar's parents were clearly relieved when it was announced that the Soyuz had landed.

His mother, Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad, was crying with relief as she sat next to her husband, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Abdul Shukor.

As is the custom for every safe landing, representatives from the parties involved congratulated each other.

Russian Space Agency (Roskosmos) president Anatoli Perminov congratulated Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who was present.

A thanksgiving doa was then read for the safe landing of the Soyuz.

When it was announced 23 minutes later at 7pm Malaysian time that the craft had been located, more applause broke out.

Malaysians were not the only ones who had come to watch the landing as Russian and foreign camera crew were also present.

Despite the perfect timing, the Soyuz landed away from its designated site.

While it was supposed to land within a 10km radius of the Kazakh town of Arkalyk, it landed about 340km away.

At a press conference later, Perminov said a commission would be set up to determine why the craft had departed from its trajectory.

"The commission will conduct an in-depth study to determine why the automatic descent was switched off at a 50km altitude," he said through an interpreter.

Those who had hoped to view the landing live were unable to as the screens only showed graphics of the location of the craft.

Source: The New Straits Times Online

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

I WAS NERVOUS AND CRYING: MUM OF ASTRONAUT
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By RUSSIA TODAY

Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad, mother of the Malaysian cosmonaut

The mother of the first Malaysian astronaut has shared her agony about her son's unexpected landing with Russia Today. Russia's Soyuz space capsule eventually landed safely, despite drifting 340km off course during its descent.

A small technical glitch caused the wayward landing. All three crew members were unharmed, and were quickly taken to an aerodrome in the Moscow region.

It took just 3 hours for Russians, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, as well as Malaysia's first cosmonaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, to return from the International Space Station.

Back to Earth - and to loved ones

A surgeon and part-time model, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor is getting a lot of attention.

"It was spectacular! When I looked out the window and saw Earth for the first time, my heart stopped beating, my eyes stopped blinking. It was amazing!" he confessed.

Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad said she felt relieved and happy.

"Of course, I was nervous, and I was also crying, praying that everything will go well. And it ends all well!" she said to journalists.

Another cosmonaut, Oleg Kotov, said he was sad to leave the ISS.

"However, the wish to see your loved ones who are waiting on Earth is always stronger," he added.

The three men will now undergo a period of adaptation, medical check-ups and a time of rest after which they will share results of their work on the ISS.

Rough Landing

Not everything went as smoothly as planned on the return journey for Soyuz.

Minutes before landing Mission Control discovered the spacecraft was off course and wouldn't reach its planned landing site close to the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Helicopters scrambled to guide them in to safety from another location 300 kilometres away.

Russian mission control described the problem as a technical glitch. However, they say the matter is being investigated.

"It was a ballistic landing, it was a regular variant and there was nothing new to it," Anatoly Perminov, head of the Federal Space Agency, said.

Source: Russia Today

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

TEARFUL REUNION FOR THE SHEIKH FAMILY
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By ABDUL RAHMAN AHMAD

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor who has not fully recovered from the micro-gravity condition in space, had to be assisted by the Angkasawan Programme director, Col Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh (right), as he alighted from the steps of the aeroplane. - PICTURE: Rahman Ahmad

MOSCOW: It was an emotional reunion for Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor's family when they were reunited with their illustrious son, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, who returned to earth yesterday on the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft after spending 11 days in space.

He and his wife, Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad, and their eldest son, Sheikh Ahmad, had to contend with the chilly open space at the Chakalovsky Air Base here for nearly an hour before the aeroplane carrying their angkasawan son touched down at 10.36pm local time (2.36 Malaysian time).

With tears of joy welling in her eyes, Zuraidah flashed a broad smile upon seeing her 35-year-old-son emerging from the plane, waving to the crowd, which include families of Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, the two Russian crew of the spacecraft, which landed some 600km away from the designated area in Arkylk in Kazakhstan, due to mechanical failure.

This delayed the homecoming welcoming ceremony for the three astronauts.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, an orthopaedic surgeon by training, who had not fully recovered from the micro-gravity condition in space, had to be assisted by the Angkasawan Programme director, Col Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh, as he alighted from the steps of the aeroplane.

In a spontaneous response, the crowd applauded and waved at the three angkasawan who appeared tired due to the long journey home, including a 10-minute flight ordeal, when the spacecraft had to operated on a ballistic mode upon entering the earth atmosphere.

Joy and merriment filled the air as the medical doctor angkasawan shook hands and hugged the Malaysian crowd, including Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis.

And the teary-eyed mother, who has been closely onserving her son, tightly embraced Dr Sheikh Muszaphar whom she had not touched for several months after he returned to Moscow from a brief holiday in Malaysia in June.

"I missed him so much and I have not hugged him since June after he returned to Russia to continue his training.

"I cannot wait to take my son home to host a thanksgiving feast to honour him for his achievement," said an elated Zuraidah.

The three angkasawan were then taken on a 30-minute bus ride to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City here where they were accorded a Russian traditional welcoming ceremony, with a loud band display.

They were offered a slice of bread each as a gesture of prosperity and security before taken to the rehabilitation centre where only the family members and the Malaysian ministerial delegation were allowed into the building for a brief chat with the angkasawan who needed a lot of rest.

It is in Star City that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and the two accompanying Russian cosmonauts will undergo health checks.

"Dr Sheikh Muszaphar may take one week to fully recover from the micro-gravity condition unlike the other two cosmonauts who had stayed longer at the International Space Station (ISS). At the moment, the Malaysian angkasawan is in good health," said Dr Zulkeffeli.

Speaking to reporters later, Najib said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar was eager to relate his experience in space.

"He is in good condition and in good health and in high spirits despite the tiredness," he said.

He said the extensive training he had undergone had developed in him an extraordinary strength and confidence to withstand any problem including the ballistic mode of re-entry of the spacecraft into the earth atmosphere.

"It is nothing unusual for a spacecraft to be on a ballistic mode. It had happened before during other Russian space missions. And because of the training he had, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar could control himself from the pressure he experienced," he said.

He said the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, would provide the feedback of the problems faced when investigations are completed.

"What is most important is that the Malaysian angkasawan is safe back home and he had accomplished his duties which made Malaysians proud.

"I hope his experience would inspire others in undertaking any challenges and turning a dream into reality," he added.

Dr Zulkeffeli said the spacecraft had to spiral down to earth due to the problem.

He said the crew realised the problem before entering the atmosphere as they were supposed to deploy the navigation for flight control.

"But after the parachutes opened for some three minutes, the spacecraft managed to land with minimal impact," he said.

On the experiment specimens kept in the spacecraft, Dr Zulkeffeli said he managed to retrieve all the six specimen kits before handing them to the Malaysian scientists who were on standby at Qostanay in Kazakhstan.

Source: Bernama.com

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

SOYUZ TMA-10 LANDED 600KM AWAY FROM THE DESIGNATED SITE - DR ZULKEFFELI
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By ABDUL RAHMAN AHMAD

MOSCOW: The Soyuz TMA-10 carrying Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha and two other Russian cosmonauts landed some 600km away from the designated landing site.

Malaysian Space Programme director Col Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh said the spacecraft was supposed to land at Arkyld, Kazakhstan, but instead it touched down 600km away near Baikonur, kazakhstan, the launching site of the Soyuz TMA-11 rocket which blasted off on Oct 10.

"But due to some mechanical problems, the crew had to do a ballistic mode when making a re-entry into atmosphere," he told Malaysian journalists.

Dr Zulkeffeli, a flight surgeon (specialised medical officer in the military), was the only Malaysian involved in the recovery team of the spacecraft along with Russian officials.

He said the spacecraft crew were aware of the problem even before they entered the atmosphere.

"They are suppose to land at Arkylk and when they were making the entrance they can manoeuvre to bring the spacecraft forward to land at the designated site, but due to some mechanical failure they had to do ballastic mode and they have to spiral down.

And this made the crew to experience a gravity pull of 8.9GX which put some pressure on them.

"But all sequence, including the time the parachutes suppose to open remains, as it is only that they don't have the soft navigation but a drastic drop," he said.

The recovery team from Baikonur reached the spacecraft about one hour after it landed while the other team, which include Dr Zulkeffeli from Arkyld, took two hours to reach there.

He said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar was prepared as he had expected the worst.

Source: Bernama.com

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

DAD GETS FIRST PHONE CALL
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By BERNAMA

MOSCOW: One of the first things angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor did on returning to Earth was to borrow a mobile phone to call his father.

Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor said he did not believe that the caller was his son until Dr Muszaphar called him abah (father in Malay).

"Abah, it's Mus. I'm back safe and sound. Everything's fine," Sheikh Mustapha said, when telling reporters about the 10-minute telephone conversation he had with his son.

The Soyuz TMA-10 carrying Dr Muszaphar and two others landed in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, at 2.37pm local time (6.37pm in Malaysia) after travelling three hours and 23 minutes from the International Space Station.

"It was a relief to know that he had landed safely with the other cosmonauts," Sheikh Mustapha said at the Mission Control Centre, from where he monitored the Soyuz landing.

Dr Muszaphar's mother, Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad, said words could not describe her joy now that her son had returned to Earth.

"I can sleep soundly again," said Zuraidah, who had previously mentioned that she had lost 7kg since her son lifted off into space on Oct 10.

Source: The Star Online

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

ANGKASAWAN IN GOOD CONDITION
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By THE STAR

SAFE RETURN: Dr Sheikh Muszaphar getting off a helicopter in Kustanay after landing in the Kazakhstan steppe on board the Soyuz TMA-10 space capsule yesterday. - Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's first Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor completed his 11-day stint in space and returned safely to Earth on Sunday.

The Soyuz TMA-10 capsule which brought him back to Earth, together with commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, landed in Kazakhstan at 6.37pm Malaysian time.

There were anxious moments though, when Nasa, which was broadcasting the event live, said the capsule had veered off course and landed some 340km from the target landing spot in Arkylk, Kazakhstan.

Muszaphar's mother Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad, who was watching, broke down in tears.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis and their wives at the control centre then offered a thanksgiving prayer.

Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) chief Anatoli Perminov then congratulated Najib.

A recovery team comprising six military Russian helicopters later located the capsule and brought out the cosmonauts at 6.52pm, beginning with Yurchikhin, followed by Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and finally Kotov.

They were brought to a tent set up next to the capsule and given immediate medical attention as part of the recovery procedure.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar's health was reported to be in "very good" condition. He had earlier bid farewell to the crew at the International Space Station where he spent nine days conducting experiments.

He also hugged and shook the hands of Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchencko and new ISS commander Peggy Whitson, both of whom had flown with him on the Soyuz TMA-11 on Oct 10.

The returning Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft undocked from the ISS at 3.14pm Malaysian time and began its quick descent to Earth.

At 5.47pm, the capsule commenced its de-orbit burn and engine rockets fired for just over four minutes to slow the craft down in preparation for its separation into three parts, one of which – called the descent module – contained the crew members. The other two parts were disposed of in space.

The craft entered the outer reaches of the earth's atmosphere at 6.14pm. It then picked up speed as it began to be pulled by Earth's gravity, travelling at speeds over 200m per second.

Once in the atmosphere, the external part of the capsule heated up to a temperature of as high as 9,000 degrees Kelvin (8,700°C).

There was also a 10-minute "communications blackout" when the capsule entered the atmosphere – a normal occurrence caused by a surge of overwhelming heat generated by the capsule, rendering any form of communication impossible.

There was also suspense when it took a few moments for the Mission Control Centre (MCC) in Moscow to re-establish contact with the capsule and to confirm that the crew inside were safe.

When confirmation came, there was applause from the Malaysians at the control centre.

Source: The Star Online

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

FIRST MALAYSIAN IN SPACE: COMPUTER GLITCH SENDS SOYUZ 340KM OFF-TARGET
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By ANIS IBRAHIM

Fyodor Yurchikhin (left) handing over the International Space Station commander duty to Peggy Whitson moments before leaving for Earth. Looking on are Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (back row, second from left) and other crew members. - PICTURES: NST/ Rosli Rahmat

ANGKASAWAN Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor returned to Earth safely yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak congratulating Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad (left) after the Soyuz TMA-10 craft landed yesterday. With them are Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor.

After spending 11 days in space, he was the second man to come out of the Soyuz TMA-10 craft after Fyodor Yurchikhin. The third person to emerge from the capsule was Oleg Kotov.

The Soyuz landed 340km west of the designated site at 6.37pm.

Search and rescue plans were upgraded because of the ballistic entry of the Soyuz into the Earth's atmosphere.

Yurchikhin reported that the ballistic entry was triggered by onboard computers, resulting in a steeper descent and, thus, the off-course landing. The spacecraft deviated from its intended landing spot after a problem during the descent. But it landed safely and the crew was unharmed, said Russian Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin.

Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft. One helicopter was already on the ground when the Soyuz landed. Twenty minutes after landing, the crew was extracted from the craft. The medical team, which examined the crew, reported that they were in good health.

Among those at the Mission Control Centre in Moscow keeping tabs on the Soyuz were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis.

High-ranking officials from the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, including its director, Anatoli Perminov, were also present, together with Dr Muszaphar's parents, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor and Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad.

Najib told a press conference that he and all Malaysians were happy that Dr Muszaphar had landed safely.

"This is a very momentous and historic occasion for Malaysia. It will go down in the annals of our history because this is a first for Malaysia in space and he has returned safely.

"The entire mission will be a landmark voyage for Malaysia."

He expressed his gratitude to Perminov, Roscosmos, the Russian and Kazakhstan governments, Nasa, the European Space Agency and other organisations which supported the angkasawan project.

"We have shown that this is a good example of an international collaborative mission. This space collaboration opens up many new opportunities in the future."

He said Malaysia would undertake an in-depth study of the success of the mission, not only in terms of how the local man fared physically but also the scientific experiments carried out in space.

"There are benefits we have reaped from the mission. The tangible benefits would be ascertained from our analysis of the scientific experiments conducted and results achieved and whether they would lead to commercialisation.

"The intangible benefit is, as a nation, Malaysians feel very proud that we can stand a few inches taller now that we have had a Malaysian travel in space."

Najib said he hoped the project would inspire present and future generations to strive for greater endeavours in all fields.

Source: The New Straits Times Online

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

MALAYSIA CHEERS HISTORIC SPACE ODYSSEY
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By AFP

Malaysia's first space traveler Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor wearing traditional Kazakh costume in north-central Kazakhstan. The return of Malaysia's first ever astronaut from space was hailed by the deputy premier as a historic moment that made his countrymen "stand a few inches taller".

The return of Malaysia's first ever astronaut from space was hailed by the deputy premier as a historic moment that made his countrymen "stand a few inches taller", reports said Monday.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a 35-year-old doctor and part-time model, returned to Earth on Sunday at 1043 GMT after 11 days in space.

Muszaphar and two Russian cosmonauts touched down safely in Kazakhstan but 200 kilometres (120 miles) off-target in a rare and unexplained 'ballistic landing' by the Soyuz craft.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak followed the landing from the Russian mission control centre in Moscow.

"This is a very momentous and historic occasion for Malaysia. It will go down in the annals of our history because this is a first for Malaysia in space and he has returned safely," Najib said in the New Straits Times.

Muszaphar, whose parents were among the cheering Malaysian contingent at mission control, spoke to his father over a borrowed mobile phone.

"Abah (father in the Malay language), it's Mus. I'm back safe and sound. Everything's fine," his father, Sheikh Mustapha Abdul Shukor, recounted to the paper.

Muszaphar was chosen from thousands of hopefuls in a nationwide competition that generated tremendous excitement in Malaysia.

Malaysian leaders see the space flight as a milestone for the country which is marking a half-century of independence from British colonial rule, and are mulling sending another citizen into space.

Najib said the government has until the end of 2009 to decide if it wants to accept an offer from the Russian Space Agency for another Malaysian to journey to the International Space Station (ISS) in late 2010 or early 2011.

Muszaphar's trip was part of a billion-dollar purchase of 18 Sukhoi 30-MKM fighter jets from Russia but Najib said a second space mission will involve direct financing.

"Since the next expedition would involve public funds, the government would have to convince the public of the need of the mission," Najib said.

The Malaysian astronaut trained for over a year at Moscow's Star City before he left for the mission on October 10 with American Peggy Whitson, the new commander on the ISS, and a Russian Yuri Malenchenko.

Muszaphar, a practising Muslim, celebrated the end of the holy month of Ramadan at the space station and carried out experiments for Malaysia's Genome Institute.

Source: Today Online

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

Sunday, 21 October 2007

SPACE STATION CREW BACK ON EARTH
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By NASA

IMAGE ABOVE: Cosmonauts Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (right) and Oleg V. Kotov (center), Expedition 15 commander and flight engineer, respectively, representing Russia's Federal Space Agency; and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor pose for a photo in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. - PHOTO CREDIT: NASA

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, the 15th crew of the International Space Station, landed safely in their Soyuz spacecraft at 6:36 a.m. EDT Sunday in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

A ballistic descent for the returning Soyuz resulted in a landing about 210 miles west of the nominal landing site.

With Expedition 15 was spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian flying under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). He arrived at the station with the Expedition 16 crew, Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, and spent almost nine days on the orbiting laboratory.

Yurchikhin, 48, wound up his second flight into space. He was a member of the STS-112 crew which launched to the station on Oct. 7, 2002, with the Starboard 1 Truss. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1997.

Kotov, 41, finished his first spaceflight. He graduated from the Moscow Medical Academy in 1988, and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1996.

Astronaut Clayton Anderson was a member of the E15 crew during the latter part of its increment. Anderson is scheduled to remain on the station for the first part of E16. He is scheduled to be replaced by Dan Tani, to arrive aboard Discovery on its STS-120 mission. Discovery will take Anderson back to Earth.

Tani, 46, holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was selected as an astronaut in 1996 and flew on Endeavour's STS-108 mission in December 2001. He will be making his second spaceflight.

Before closing the Soyuz-station hatches Sunday, Yurchikhin and Kotov said farewell to the E16 crew. Whitson and Malenchenko launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct. 10.

Whitson, 47, is on her second mission to the station. She served as a flight engineer on the Expedition 5 crew, launching June 5, 2002, and returning to Earth Dec 7, after almost 185 days in space. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Rice University in Houston. She began working for NASA as a research biochemist in 1989 and was selected as an astronaut in 1996.

Malenchenko, 45, a Russian Air Force colonel, is making his third long-duration spaceflight. He spent 126 days aboard the Russian space station Mir beginning July 1, 1994, and commanded the two-person station crew on Expedition 7, spending 185 days in space beginning April 26, 2003. He also was a member of the STS-106 crew of Atlantis on an almost-12-day mission to the station beginning Sept. 8, 2000. He is a graduate of the Kharkov Military Aviation School and the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy.

Yurchikhin and Kotov will spend several weeks in Star City, near Moscow, for debriefing and medical examinations.

Source: NASA

Posted by site editor at 10:38 PM JST

EXPEDITION 15 RETURNS HOME
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By NASA

IMAGE ABOVE: The crew members onboard the International Space Station pose for a group photo in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. - PHOTO CREDIT: NASA

The Expedition 15 crew members have returned home.

After bidding farewell to the Expedition 16 crew Saturday night, the Expedition 15 crew, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, boarded their Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft for the return to Earth. They undocked from the station around 3:14 a.m. EDT Sunday and landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 6:36 a.m.

Joining Expedition 15 for the journey home was spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian flying under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). He arrived at the station with the Expedition 16 crew, Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, on Oct 12.

At a change of command ceremony Friday afternoon, the Expedition 15 crew formally handed over command of the station to Expedition 16.

Accepting command of the station from Yurchikhin, Whitson remarked, "It's been a very impressive mission, and you guys have performed exceptionally."

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson, who joined Expedition 15 in June, will remain onboard as a member of Expedition 16, until his replacement, astronaut Dan Tani, arrives on the STS-120 shuttle mission later this month.

Source: NASA

Posted by site editor at 10:16 PM JST

SPACEMAN RETURNS TODAY
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By JANE RITIKOS

MOSCOW: Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor will return to earth today after an 11-day stint in space.

He will receive a warm welcome from a Malaysian delegation, which includes his parents, led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Angkasawan will return with Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov on board the previous mission’s vehicle Soyuz TMA-10 or Soyuz 14S, which will undock from the docking port at the International Space Station's functional cargo block or Zarya at 11.15am (3.15pm Malaysian time).

The spacecraft will travel for just over three hours before landing within a 10km radius in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, at 2.37pm (6.37pm Malaysian time).

The Soyuz TMA-11 or Soyuz 15S was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct 10, bringing Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, new ISS commander Peggy Whitson and Russian Yuri Malenchencko to the ISS two days later.

Najib, Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Jamaludin Jarjis, Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Datuk Mohamad Khalis Ali Hassan and other dignitaries will watch the landing sequences from the Mission Control Centre here.

Malaysians, meanwhile, can watch the historic event live on Astro Channel 58.

Upon landing, a recovery team including the Malaysian Mission Flight Surgeon and Russian crew support personnel will reach the landing area in a convoy of Russian military helicopters.

Once the capsule touches down, the helicopters will land nearby to begin removing the crew and set up a portable medical tent.

Russian technicians will open the module's hatch and begin removing the crew one at a time before the cargo is retrieved. The crew will be seated in special reclining chairs for initial medical tests and to re-adapt to earth’s gravity.

Back at mission control, the participating agencies will hold a press conference after the crew's safe retrieval, with Najib taking questions on behalf of Malaysia.

Officials from the Russian Federal Space Agency, Nasa and Malaysia will then congratulate each other for a successful mission.

This will be followed with a simple traditional landing ceremony led by Najib, Jamaludin, the scientists and technical crew members at the Malaysian Technical Control Centre at mission control – the National Angkasawan Programme mission logo sticker will be placed on the room wall to commemorate completion of the mission and the officials will sign on the wall.

Meanwhile, two hours after landing, the Soyuz crew will be flown via helicopters to a staging site in Kustanai, near the Kazakh-Russian border, where Kazakh officials will welcome them.

At 7pm (11pm Malaysian time), the crew will board a military plane to fly to the Chkalovsky Airfield adjacent to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia. They are expected to land there at 8pm (midnight Malaysia).

At the Chkalovsky airport, the delegation including Dr Sheikh Muszaphar's parents Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad and Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Shukor will be waiting to welcome him home.

Source: The Star Online

Posted by site editor at 10:47 AM JST

MUSZAPHAR LANDS TODAY
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By NST

Malaysian angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor will receive a warm welcome when he lands today.

He and fellow crew members Fyodor Yuchikhin and Oleg Kotov are scheduled to land in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, at 6.37pm Malaysian time.

A recovery team, including Angkasawan project director Kol Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh and technical committee member Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman will be the first Malaysians to welcome Dr Muszaphar.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will witness the landing from Mission Control Centre in Moscow.

Najib, who will be accompanied by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, will then speak at a news conference together with officials from Roskosmos, the Russian space agency.

A landing ceremony will follow in Moscow, where each representative will congratulate each other on the mission.

Najib will then affix the Angkasawan logo on the wall of the Malaysian technical control centre room.

The sticking of a mission logo in Mission Control Centre, Moscow, is the custom after every successful space landing.

The entire event from the landing in Kazakhstan to the crew's departure into Star City for rehabilitation will be telecast live on Astro's channel 588.

Dr Zulkeffeli, the mission flight surgeon, will be assisting Dr Muszaphar with post-landing medical tests in Arkylk.

The crew will rest for about two hours in a medical tent at the landing site to allow them to re-adapt to Earth's gravity.

Dr Muszaphar, Yuchikhin and Kotov will then board a Russian military transport plane for the Kazakh town of Kustanai for their onward flight to Star City.

Najib will greet Dr Muszaphar at the Chkalovsky airfield adjacent to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, where the crew is expected to arrive at midnight Malaysian time.

The encounter is likely to be an emotional one as it also will be Dr Muszaphar's first meeting with his parents, Datuk Mustapha Sheikh Abdul Shukor and Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad, in months.

They will have only 15 minutes with their son as the crew will have to leave immediately for the profilactorium where they will undergo physical rehabilitation.

Yuchikhin and Kotov, who both spent six months in microgravity, will be considerably weaker than Dr Muszaphar, who is expected to recover faster as he spent 11 days in space.

He will undergo several weeks of medical tests and rehabilitation before being allowed to return to Malaysia.

To mark the end of their mission, an inauguration ceremony will be held in Star City on Nov 9 where the crew will be certified as having completed their mission.

Source: The New Straits Times Online

Posted by site editor at 10:42 AM JST

SOYUZ CRAFT LANDS SHORT OF DESTINATION, COSMONAUTS AND SPACE TRAVELER ARRIVE SAFELY
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By AP

MOSCOW: A Soyuz craft veered off its designated landing course Sunday, coming down more than 200 miles short of its original destination on the steppes of Kazakhstan. It arrived safely, bringing two Russian cosmonauts and Malaysia's first space traveler back to Earth, officials said.

A computer glitch caused the landing capsule carrying Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov and Malaysian Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor to end up about 210 miles west of the designated site near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, Russia's Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said.

The craft arrived at 6:36 EDT - one minute ahead of schedule - and the crew was unharmed, he said.

Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft, NASA reported on its Web site. It said all the three crew members were feeling fine.

The spacecraft's descent was unusually steep apparently due to the computer glitch, and the crew was subjected to a higher than normal gravity load, Lyndin said.

Yurchikhin and Kotov were returning home after a six-month stint at the international space station. Sheikh had been at the orbital outpost since Oct. 12.

Russian Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov said space officials and experts "experienced a few tense moments," but added that the crew was in good condition.

"All crew members have been recovered and they are feeling quite well," Perminov said at a news conference at Mission Control.

Alexei Krasnov, the head of the Russian space agency's manned space programs, said an official commission was formed to investigate the glitch.

"It's difficult to immediately name a specific reason behind the problem. We need to do an in-depth analysis," he said.

A similar problem occurred in May 2003 when the crew - Russian cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and American astronauts Kenneth Bowersox and Donald Pettit - also experienced a steep, off-course landing. It then took salvage crews several hours to locate the spacecraft because of communications problems.

Yurchikhin and Kotov were returning home after a six-month stint at the international space station. Sheikh had been at the orbital outpost since Oct. 12.

Source: CBS News

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

ANGKASAWAN SAFELY BACK ON EARTH (UPDATED)
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

(An update on an earlier article titled: "Soyuz undocks from ISS for return to Earth")

By AP

MOSCOW: The Soyuz TMA-10 craft landed safely in Kazakhstan at 6.37pm Malaysian time.

The Soyuz was carrying Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Russians - Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov.

According to AP, the Soyuz craft veered off its designated course while heading for its landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft, which landed just under 340km west of the designated landing site near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, Nasa reported on its website.

It said all the three crew members were feeling fine.

The spacecraft's descent deviated from the intended path apparently due to a computer glitch, and the crew were subjected to higher than normal gravity load on their descent, Russia's Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said.

Yurchikhin and Kotov were returning home after a six-month stint at the international space station. While Dr Sheikh Muszaphar had been at the orbital outpost since Oct 12.

Source: The Star Online

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

SOYUZ CRAFT LANDS SHORT OF DESTINATION
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV/ AP

ARKALYK, KAZAKHSTAN: A technical glitch sent a Soyuz spacecraft on a wild ride home Sunday, forcing Malaysia's first space traveler and two Russian cosmonauts to endure eight times the force of gravity before their capsule landed safely.

All three were fine, with medical tests showing they were not injured during the steeper-than-usual descent, Russian Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov said at a news conference at Mission Control in Korolyov, just outside Moscow.

He said space officials and experts had "a few tense moments" but the spacecraft landed safely with the crew in good condition.

The Soyuz _ with Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, and Malaysian Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor on board _ veered off-course and touched down at 6:36 a.m. EDT, more than 200 miles west of the designated landing site on the steppes of Kazakhstan, Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said.

"That meant that the crew were subjected to higher than normal gravity load on their descent," he told The Associated Press.

Soyuz crews typically must bear four times the force of gravity when the spacecraft returns to Earth. But Lyndin said the glitch meant the crew was subjected to eight times the force of gravity.

Russian teams quickly located the craft, NASA said on its Web site.

Alexei Krasnov, head of the Russian space agency's manned space programs, said an official commission would investigate the glitch.

"It's difficult to immediately name a specific reason behind the problem. We need to do an in-depth analysis," he said.

A similar problem occurred in May 2003 when the crew _ Russian cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and American astronauts Kenneth Bowersox and Donald Pettit _ also experienced a steep, off-course landing. It then took salvage crews several hours to locate the spacecraft because of communications problems.

Yurchikhin and Kotov were returning home after a six-month stint at the international space station. Sheikh Muszaphar, a 35-year-old physician, had been at the orbital outpost since Oct. 12.

"This is a very momentous and historic occasion for Malaysia," Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters.

During about 10 days in space, Sheikh Muszaphar, fulfilling both his own dream of space travel and his country's aspirations, performed experiments involving diseases and the effects of microgravity and space radiation on cells and genes.

"I am also very proud ... that finally we have joined the small number of nations that have sent their sons and daughters to space," Sheikh Muszaphar wrote in his Web journal before returning to Earth.

The $25 million agreement for a Malaysian astronaut to fly to space was negotiated in 2003 along with a $900 million deal for Malaysia to buy 18 Russian fighter jets.

Back at the space station, the remaining crew _ U.S. astronauts Peggy Whitson and Clayton Anderson, and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko _ monitored the progress of the Soyuz on its return journey.

Whitson, the station's first female commander, arrived along with Sheikh Muszaphar and Malenchenko on another Soyuz that lifted off from the Russian-leased launch facility in Kazakhstan Oct. 10.

She and Malenchenko are to spend six months in orbit, while Anderson - aboard since June - is to be replaced in the coming weeks by U.S. astronaut Daniel Tani, who is to arrive on the U.S. shuttle Discovery later this month.

The station's new crew is to perform space walks linked in part with efforts to expand the station, which is due to add a European Space Agency module and a Japanese module in the coming months.

Source: CBS News

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

SOYUZ CRAFT LANDS SAFELY IN KAZAKHSTAN
Topic: - P5 - Undock/Return

By AP

MOSCOW: Soyuz Craft with 2 Russians and Malaysia's 1st Space Traveler Returns Safely to Earth.

A Soyuz craft veered off its designated course while heading for its landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan but safely brought two Russian cosmonauts and Malaysia's first space traveler back to Earth on Sunday, officials said.

The landing capsule carrying Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, and Malaysian Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, deviated from its intended landing site after a technical problem during the descent.

But it landed safely and the crew was unharmed, said Russia's Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin. Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft.

Source: CBS News

Posted by site editor at 12:01 AM JST

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