Malaysia shoots cultures into space (Where’s Mecca? The spinning head of an orbiting Muslim.)

Sunday Times (South Africa) ^ | Wednesday March 09, 2005 09:23 - (SA)

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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia aims to send a piece of local culture and a famous delicacy into the heavens when its first astronaut shoots into space in 2007, reports reveal.

The National Space Agency plans to send a chef and a fashion designer to the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration to research how to prepare "roti canai," a flat Indian bread, to eat in space and as well as making spacesuits from traditional batik, reports said.

"We will have a programme called 'Batik in Space' and we will also launch a programme called 'Roti Canai in Space' to see how we can bring Malaysia delicacies up to the space station," the agency's director-general Mazlan Othman was quoted as saying by The Star.

"We will research ways to bring our astronauts' favourite food into space."

Russia will send Malaysia's first cosmonaut into space in October 2007 as part of a scientific mission aboard the International Space Station.

The two countries signed a deal to send Malaysia's first cosmonaut into space onboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft during a visit to Malaysia by Russian President Vladimir Putin in August 2003.

It is part of a billion-dollar deal for 18 Sukhoi 30-MKM fighter jets.

Two Russian experts are expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur month to help select candidates.

If the Malaysian astronaut selected is Muslim, Mazlan said they would also consult an Islamic cleric to help determine prayer times in space and the direction of the Mecca for prayers.

AFP

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The only costs incurred in taking this Malaysian tourist to the space station will be his transportation costs, which are paid for by the Russians. Your complaints are idiotic.

You must have a very magnetic personality, on account of being so spectacularly dense.

As I very clearly stated, I object to the Russians using the space station (built in very large part with $25.9 billion dollars of US taxpayer money) as a hotel whose accomodations are available to any nation willing to purchase a billion dollar contract for Russian arms. The cost of the flight is completely irrelevant. I'm referring to the destination.

I’m sorry if this point is beyond your ken.

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LOL! I guess there are exceptions.

[monday]

"As I very clearly stated, I object to the Russians using the space station (built in very large part with $25.9 billion dollars of US taxpayer money) as a hotel whose accomodations are available to any nation willing to purchase a billion dollar contract for Russian arms."

Why? Americans can't use it because the space shuttle is grounded. The Russians are short of money. They have to sell Migs in order to pay for the Soyuz, without which, there would be some dead Americans up there now.

It doesn't cost America anything to let this Malaysian tourist stay there a day or two. American money has already been wasted. We can't get it back by not allowing tourists, indeed, if we were smart we would be doing what the Russians are doing and taking our own tourists up there so as to try to recoup some of the money wasted on it.

Why do you care what the Russians do with the space station? Are you just jealous?

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They have to sell Migs in order to pay for the Soyuz.

You’re too stupid to debate with.

Why do you care what the Russians do with the space station?

Because I paid for it.

Are you just jealous?

Yes, and the Russians sell MIGs to pay for the Soyuz. LOL! I guess I shouldn't expect everybody spending time on a space thread to be Einstein.

[monday]

"Because I paid for it."

Talk about dumb... oh well...