Malaysia’s first “angkasawan” (space traveller) will be recognised as a cosmonaut by the Russian space authorities, said Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Jamaludin Jarjis. [Bernama]

“Some countries might question this, but to me, it is not important. What matters is that the candidate was selected and trained by Russia and the country recognises him as a true cosmonaut,” said Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Jamaludin Jarjis.

He was commenting on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) referring to Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha, one of two Malaysians eligible to make an expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Russian Soyuz rocket on Oct 10, as “space flight participant” on its website.

It’s funny that Bernama is still translating Angkasawan as space traveller instead of cosmonaut.

Cosmonaut, astronaut, can-naut, roti-naut, whatever… Malaysia will have a man in space pretty soon, that’s the fact. I would prefer to call him a space traveller though, nothing wrong with the name, I don’t see anything defaming with it.


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11 Responses to “Cosmonaut, or space traveller, but not astronaut”

  1. Crankshaft on October 8th, 2007 at 3:49pm

    There’s no defamation, except we’re glorifying ourselves and putting us on the same level as the Americans and Russians. We’re not.

    Frankly, sending someone up into space is completely worthless as both Americans and Russians are too careful with their information to allow much of a “technology transfer”.

    We won’t gain any legitimate experience. And if we live in denial, we could probably convince ourselves that we’re ready for space.

    But really, it is an exercise in futility. And no, there is no envy involved.

    A complete waste of money.

  2. hanafi on October 10th, 2007 at 5:49pm

    We are proud to have a Malaysian in space.

  3. ffad on October 11th, 2007 at 1:22am

    “The Soyuz-FG rocket soared into a darkening sky above the Kazakh steppe.”

    i smell ringgit notes burning..

  4. kuanchong on October 11th, 2007 at 4:01pm

    This guy won the biggest lottery ever in Malaysia - most expensive traveling package!!

    Those billionaires need to pay millions of dollars for the trip.

  5. ffad on October 11th, 2007 at 5:25pm

    “Whitson, who laughed as Russian space official Sergei Semchenko handed her the three-pronged whip and said she would take it “just in case,”… Reports

    Do the russian had better jokes than using whips on our hero?

  6. ffad on October 13th, 2007 at 1:33pm

    This space trip is part of a package for the purchase of 900 million, 18 fighter jets. 25 million per trip is the market price. Anyone can go for a space trip if he can pay 25 million.

    Do malaysia dictionary doesnt have the word ‘bargain’?

  7. mfaizalzul on October 14th, 2007 at 3:44pm

    malaysia bolehh!!

  8. malaysia2d on October 15th, 2007 at 6:24pm

    According to Russian Space Agency, Roscomos official website, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor is a flight participant, not a cosmonaut as proclaimed by our beloved Malaysian government.

    Regards,

  9. ASTRO - NOT on October 20th, 2007 at 4:31am

    Hitch Hiker

  10. ffad on October 20th, 2007 at 1:27pm

    Malaysia is one of the asian leaders in space program (by comparison to the likes of china, india, japanese, korea…of course). We are good, we can, we are determine and we are technologically advanced. Just one example : the japanese have difficulties building their rockets…we dont have.

    Whats the use of saving billions like singapore. They dont have any dramatic projects, they dont have any wawasan whatsoever and they are a small country without natural resources…we have.

  11. ffad on October 20th, 2007 at 9:21pm

    Talking about japan, these unshameful barbaric people will send their stoned-nauts to moon around 2o2o which so happen malaysia would also send its astronauts to moon at 2020! If again, so happen, japaneses and malaysians steps on moon at the same year…does it mean that japan is at par with malaysia technologically? Baaah…will these japaneses give up on their self-praising and self-satisfication eventually?


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