Astronaut Corps of Malaysia

About the Book

On the 10th of October 2007, a young Malaysian was successfully launched into space becoming the nation’s first Astronaut (Angkasawan). The Malaysian government had secured a seat on-board the three seater Soyuz capsule and blasted off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It was a historic moment for the entire nation. We all held our breath as we watched our hopes and dreams ascend on a roaring column of fire towards space. The opportunity to go to outer space was given to all Malaysians. Through a selection process, more than eleven thousand shortlisted candidates chosen from the general public went through nine screening stages to become the sole Angkasawan. Herein you will find excerpts and short stories from some of the most colourful and astonishing young candidates and like-minded individuals, vying for the coveted top spot of Angkasawan Negara. The top fifty-nine candidates of the astronaut programme are now all members of the Astronautical Association of Malaysia (AstroX) also known as the Astronaut Corps of Malaysia. This is their story and their journey to become the first Malaysian into space.

About the Author

Captain Faiz Kamaludin is a B777-300 commander and the President of the Astronautical Association of Malaysia (AstroX). AstroX is a non-profit organisation with the mission to promote the knowledge of science to schoolchildren across Malaysia. His love for flying has taken him to many destinations in the past 25 years, however in 2006 he landed himself in Star City, Moscow representing Malaysia as one of the final 4 candidates vying for a place to go to outer space. Since then, he has dedicated his time in conducting rocketry workshops and giving motivational ‘space’ talks to children and students. Having completed his Master’s degree in Aviation Management with the University of Newcastle, Australia through on-line learning in 2009, Faiz believes that the pursuit of knowledge is an essential part of his life. His community efforts have been recognised by the University of Newcastle and he is the recipient of the 2011 Alumni Award for Regional Leadership. He was recently awarded the 2014 Community Achievement Award by the Malaysian Australian Alumni Council. Through his work with AstroX, an innovative mobile app called GoCikgu is now available to provide free content on rocketry and science for schoolteachers to establish astronautic clubs across Malaysia.