Soyuz spacecraft docks with ISS

latest news on our "son" of Malaysia...

Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, being the first Malaysian astronaut in space, will spend 9 days on the International Space Station (ISS). Dr. Sheikh left Earth on a Russian Soyuz spaceship two days ago, blasting off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. This event was eagerly anticipated in Malaysia, where it has been hailed as a landmark for the Asian nation. All the media in Malaysia, including his former Alma Mater (my school, St. Paul's Institution), were exceedingly proud of this Anak Malaysia who has salvaged some pride for the nation. The Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also joined 1,000 schoolchildren at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur to mark Malaysia's entry into space. They clapped and cheered as a giant TV screen showed scenes of Dr. Sheikh, smiling inside the spacecraft minutes after lift-off.

Dr. Sheikh, a 35-year-old doctor, is the first Muslim to fly in space during this month of Ramadan and will be there for the Eid festival, when he will treat his crewmates to a celebratory meal. The agreement for a Malaysian astronaut to fly to space was negotiated in 2003 as part of a commercial deal for Malaysia to buy 18 Russian fighter jets.