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.

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.

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.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in announcing this said the Government was proud that both Angkasawan candidates had passed with flying colours and were equally eligible to represent the country in its first outer space mission. 

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, Whitson and Malenchenko will board the Russian Soyuz TMA-11, which will blast off from Baikanur in Kazakhstan on Oct 10.

"When you travel there is no compulsion to fast," Science Minister Jamaluddin Jarjis told reporters.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 35, is one of three people who will lift off in a Russian space craft on Oct. 10 for a 10-day mission in the International Space Station. He has said that as a good Muslim he hopes to fast in space even though his main priority is to conduct scientific experiments.

But Jamaluddin said Sheikh Muszaphar, who has been fasting during training along with his backup Faiz Khaleed, can postpone the fasting until after he returns.

The fasting month of Ramadan started on Sept. 13 and is expected to end on Oct. 12, which means Sheikh Muszaphar will have to fast for only two or three days if he insists on not eating from dawn to dusk, an Islamic religious requirement.

Jamaluddin also said he expects Sheikh Muszaphar to pray only three times a day instead of the obligatory five to reduce the inconvenience of going through prayer rituals in the gravity-free atmosphere.

Observant Muslims are required to turn toward Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and pray five times a day while kneeling. However that becomes difficult in zero gravity while the space station is circling the Earth 16 times a day. Malaysia's National Fatwa Council has ruled that the astronaut will not be required to kneel to pray if the absence of gravity makes it too hard, nor will he have to wash hands and face with water as required – a simple wet towel will do.

Jamaluddin said Malaysia is hoping to send a second astronaut into space, depending on public support for the first mission. He said the second mission would cost US$30 million (euro21.5 million), but the long term benefits would be worth it.

"If there is good strong public support we should continue the mission to sustain the awareness. We should look not only on short term return but also medium to long term."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wished Sheikh Muszaphar success. "I pray that this mission will proceed according to plan, safely and successfully," he said.

Sheikh Muszaphar will return to earth Oct. 20 along with two members of the station's current crew, cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov.

With their good looks and charm, astronaut candidates Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Kapt Dr Faiz Khaleed certainly have the star quality that comes with being the first Malaysian in space. 

However, the real "star" of the Angkasawan programme, as with any venture since Man first launched a rocket into space, is the science behind it.  

Space science encompasses more than rocket propulsion and liquid fuel technologies. It gives scientists opportunities to conduct experiments under conditions impossible to simulate on earth. 

These include microgravity and intense ultraviolet radiation, and tests that will one day see innovations from something as mundane as creating better detergents to one as significant as saving lives stricken with cancer.  

She said these experiments in space were part of the "bigger agenda" of generating interest in space science and technology among Malaysians. 

Letters to local universities were sent out as early as one-and-a-half years ago asking for proposals for experiments but even then, the agency had to hold workshops to stir up interest among the scientists about the upcoming space trip. 

"Our scientists had to go on a learning curve because we are asking them to think of new things," said Dr Mazlan. 

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar or Kapt Dr Faiz – depending on the candidate at the launch date – will carry out experiments on board the International Space Station relating to the growth and characteristics of liver cancer and leukaemia cells, and microbes in space, and the crystallisation of various proteins. 

While the experiments relating to liver cancer and leukaemia cells, and microbes will benefit general science and medical research, the crystallisation of proteins, lipases in this case, will directly benefit local industries. 

Lipases are a type of protein enzymes used in the manufacturing of products as diverse as cosmetics to textiles and the opportunity to grow these in space will mean a possibility for Malaysian scientists to take a crack at an industry worth some US$2.2bil (RM7.7bil) worldwide by producing these locally. 

"These proteins can later be commercialised and the benefit for Malaysians from this space experiment is immediate," said Dr Mazlan. 

The Malaysian astronaut himself is going to be a scientific experiment as his heart and respiratory rates, skin temperature and blood pressure before, during and after the space flight will come under intense scrutiny and monitoring by the various research institutes. 

Contrary to popular belief - or disbelief, rather - this year's launch date was chosen well in advance to coincide with the 50th Merdeka celebrations. 

"It is also the golden anniversary of Russia's Sputnik launch," said Dr Mazlan.

Malaysia's soon-to-be first astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor said on Thursday he hoped to fast aboard the International Space Station as he visits there in the holy month of Ramadan.

Muszaphar, who is expected to travel to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket on 10 October, acknowledged that following the normal prayer regime might be difficult, but said that Islam was a "lenient" religion and compatible with space travel.

"Of course if we can't do our responsibilities in space we're allowed to do it when we come back. But as a Muslim I do hope to do my responsibilities. I do hope to fast in space," he told journalists at Russia's Star City training centre outside Moscow.

"Islam is very lenient. If I can't fast in space I can always come back and do it at a later time, but I will discuss it in detail with my commander," he said.

Muszaphar, a 35-year-old doctor and part-time model, has been training at Star City for a year alongside reserve candidate Faiz Khaleed (27).

He will visit the ISS with professional Russian cosmonaut Yury Malenchenko and American Peggy Whitson, spending nine days there before returning to Earth with the current crew.

Guidelines

Before the voyage, Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development issued a 20-page book of guidelines on observing Ramadan in space.

Otherwise, because the space station circles the Earth 16 times a day, a Muslim would theoretically have to pray 80 times a day.

The guidelines stipulate that the astronaut need only pray five times a day, just as on Earth, and that the times should follow the location from which the spacecraft blasted off — in this case, the Baikonur launch pad.

Muszaphar said he had been inspired by the example of the first ever man in space, Russian Yuri Gagarin, and hoped to capture the enthusiasm of other Malaysians, helped by a tele-conference and a radio link-up with students.

"I'm hoping to become like Yuri Gagarin. I remember when I was a child I read a lot about him. He has inspired me so much in my life," he said. "I do hope to become like Yuri Gagarin and to spark an interest among the Malaysian people, especially school children."

The booklet of Islamic guidelines that has been issued covers among other things washing rituals required before prayer, saying that if water is not available the astronaut can symbolically "sweep holy dust" onto the face and hands "even if there is no dust" in the space station.

There are also suggestions on how to pray in a zero-gravity environment.

"During the prayer ritual, if you can't stand up straight, you can hunch. If you can't stand, you can sit. If you can't sit, you should lie down," it says.

And in the unlikely event of a Muslim astronaut's death, the body should be brought back to Earth for burial, failing which it should be "interred" in Space after a brief ceremony. No details of this are given.

First Malaysian in Space

The project to send a Malaysian to space was conceived in 2003 when Russia agreed to send a Malaysian to the ISS as part of Malaysia's billion-dollar purchase of 18 Sukhoi 30-MKM fighter jets.

Russia has taken a series of "space tourists" to the ISS, mostly businesspeople who have typically paid about $20-million.

However, Muszaphar said he was planning to help with scientific experiments. Among other things the Soyuz will be taking cancer cells into space to study the effect on them of the weightless environment.

Muszaphar added that he would be taking some Malaysian food with him to treat fellow crew members: "We've made sure it's not very spicy so the Russians can eat it very well," he said.

Whitson, a biochemist who has previously spent six months on the ISS, said she looked forward to work on expanding the interior of the ISS after recent structural changes.

She said she would first be joining October 4 celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union's Sputnik space programme, marking the first time a man-made object orbited the earth.

"It's why we're going to space. I really recognise that the 50-year Sputnik anniversary is important to the whole world, not just to Russia," she said.

THE launch of the space programme will be the starting point in raising the nation's awareness, bringing together all races from different social backgrounds, in a national mission to embrace science and technology.