I have blogged for quite some time now. Main reason being work and the fact that i was away for one whole week in Ipoh with slow internet connection really didn't gave me an appetite to blog.
Though, today is different. Today we witness a mark of history in Malaysia. The first Malaysian into space. As our Deputy Prime Minister says, "Malaysian can now stand a few inches taller" because we have ventured into space. I think one of the main question many Malaysian asks when the space program was first launched is what is the reason for the first Malaysian going into space. Some were saying, he is going to make Teh Tarik in space, play Congkak and other really typical stupid Malaysian things in Space!
I mean, so you want to see how Teh Tarik tariks with No Gravity is it! Aiyoh! How to tarik when there is no gravity? Stupid right?
But anyway, many Malaysians also failed to realised one thing and that is today is not only a historic day for ONE reason. Its a history day for TWO reason and the other reason being; the first SPACEFLIGHT PARTTICIPANT IN A SPACE MISSION!
Puzzled? You should be. Try this, Expedition 16 consists of 6 crew namely:
Commander Peggy A. Whitson - commander for Expedition 16
Yuri Malenchenko - flight engineer
Léopold Eyharts - flight engineers
Garrett Reisman - flight engineers
Dan Tani - flight engineers
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST,
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor - Malaysian spaceflight participant
Spaceflight participant!!!! WTF!
And....
The Expedition 15 crew has been busy readying the station as they prepare to greet their replacements and Malaysian guest. Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov set up a work space in the Zvezda service module that will allow the visiting Shukor to perform several experiments over nine days.
Flight Engineer Clay Anderson also resized U.S. spacesuits for Whitson and Malenchenko for an upcoming spacewalk. The current station crew also held space-to-ground teleconferences with their Expedition 16 counterparts to assist
with handover activities.
Yurchikhin and Kotov are scheduled to leave the station on Oct. 21 officially ending the Expedition 15 increment. Shukor will go home with the two cosmonauts. Anderson will remain onboard with Expedition 16 and return to Earth next month aboard Discovery on its STS-120 mission.
And so... fellow Malaysians. Here is what your Taxes are for. To send a Malaysian for a expensive Space Vacation. The experiments maybe includes Teh Tarik and flip roti canai. Well, he is a partner of a restaurant. Maybe he is there to cook Nasi Lemak or something for their host. Be proud Malaysia!
Source: NASA, Jeffooi
