First M'sian astronaut to start training in Russia 
Malaysiakini
Sep 30, 2006

Malaysia's first astronaut will begin training in a few days in Moscow's Star City before he blasts off in a year's time on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, the Russian space agency Roskosmos said.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (left), 34, a doctor and part-time model, and his back-up, Faiz Khaleed (right), 26, an army dentist, left Malaysia Tuesday, where Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told the pair to do their best and forge a good name for their country.

"Bon voyage and carry out your duties well," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the state Bernama news agency.

Contract on details 

Yesterday, Russia and Malaysia signed a contract detailing the mission - a last formality that permits Muszaphar to begin preparing for his historic flight, Roskomos said in a release.

The project was conceived in 2003 when Russia agreed to send a Malaysian to the space station as part of a billion-dollar purchase of 18 Sukhoi 30-MKM fighter jets.

A formal agreement to send the first Malaysian into space was signed last May.

Muzaphar and Faiz were chosen earlier this month from a contest of thousands of hopefuls. As part of their contract, neither man is allowed to marry until the mission concludes in 2008.