Malaysian National Space Agency
Logo of ANGKASA.
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| Acronym | ANGKASA |
|---|---|
| Owner |
 Malaysia |
| Established | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Banting |
| Administrator | Dr Noordin Ahmad |
| Website | www |
The National Space Agency (Malay: Agensi Angkasa Negara), abbreviated ANGKASA, is the national space agency of Malaysia. It was established in 2002 and its charter includes aims to upgrade, stimulate and foster the country's space programme through integrated and coordinated efforts by developing and applying space technologies. The agency is headed by Dr. Mustafa Din Subari who replaced the first Director General, Prof. Datuk Dr. Mazlan Binti Othman.
The Angkasawan program was an initiative by the Malaysian government to send a Malaysian to the International Space Station on board Soyuz TMA-11. The program was named after the Malay word for astronaut, Angkasawan. It resulted in Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor becoming the first Malaysian in space on 10 October 2007.
The program was officially announced by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir bin Mohamad, as a joint programme with the Russian Federation. It was a project under the government-to-government offset agreement through the purchase of Sukhoi SU-30MKM fighter jets for the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
Under this agreement the Russian Federation bore the cost of training two Malaysians for space travel and for sending one to the International Space Station (ISS) in October 2007. It resulted in Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor becoming the first Malaysian in space on 10 October 2007.
The evidence suggests that the main objectives of the program are to uplift the national image and to instill in the younger generation greater interest in Maths and Science. At the launch, the Malaysian Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis said: "It is not merely a project to send a Malaysian into space. After 50 years of independence, we need a new shift and a new advantage to be more successful as a nation. "We want to awe and inspire, and spur Malaysians to attain greater success by embracing science and technology."
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