Transmission Hitch Prevents Malaysian PM’s Teleconference With Astronaut

Text of report in English by Malaysian news agency Bernama website

[Unattributed report from the "General" page: "Transmission Hitch Prevents PM's Teleconferencing With Angkasawan"]

Putrajaya, Oct 14 (Bernama) – A transmission hitch prevented Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from teleconferencing tonight with the first Malaysian in space.

The prime minister expressed disappointment for not being able to talk with Dr Shaykh Muszaphar Shukor Shaykh Mustapha, who is in the International Space Station (ISS), at the scheduled time of 8.20pm.

“I am disappointed. I had wanted to extend Hari Raya Aidilfitri greetings to Dr Muszaphar. It appears that it is not possible (tonight). Nevertheless, I would like to still wish him Selamat Hari Raya if it is possible tomorrow,” he said in a televised interview beamed from the prime minister’s official residence “Seri Perdana”.

Abdullah said he had also intended to ask Dr Shaykh Muszaphar about his feelings and health besides the progress of the assignment he had been tasked with.

“He is not there for a holiday to view the earth from up there. He has certain tasks to perform while in the ISS,” he said.

Dr Shaykh Muszaphar, 35, lifted off into space on October 10 along with American Commander Peggy Whitson and Russian Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to become the first Malaysian in space.

Their spacecraft, Soyuz TMA-11, docked with the ISS on Friday and the three astronauts entered the ISS.

Abdullah said the historic event marked Malaysia’s entry into the second phase of its space science programme, placing the country among the elite nations that have ventured into space.

“I am happy. This historic event has proven that we have the capability to send a Malaysian to space,” he said.

The prime minister said Malaysia would continue to pursue the space science programme by cooperating with countries which are pioneers in the field of science and technology, such as Russia and the United States, to carry out more research beneficial to mankind.

“We want to continue to participate and be positive in the programme because the findings of research in space can be used for the betterment of mankind,” he said.

He said the country’s involvement in the space programme also showed that Malaysia was on track to be a developed nation.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said the teleconferencing did not materialise because the transmission link between the Mission Control Centre (MCC) in Moscow and the ISS via the UHF two-way communication system could not be established during a 10-minute window when the ISS passed over Russia due to bad weather in Moscow.

The technical hitch prevented audio and visual signals from being transmitted directly to Malaysia and re-routed to “Seri Perdana”, said Jamaludin, who was with the prime minister at “Seri Perdana”.

The ISS makes one orbit of the earth in 90 minutes, thus circling the earth 16 times in one day.

The minister apologised to Malaysians for the technical problem and said that another attempt for teleconferencing would be made on Tuesday night.

“The prime minister has been informed that we will try for another teleconferencing with Dr Shaykh Muszaphar on the night of October 16.

“There is nothing to worry as everything is proceeding smoothly. We only had a minor disruption in the communication link with Moscow,” added Jamaludin who had just returned from the Russian capital.

At the interview with Abdullah was his wife, Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah. Also present was Umno Youth Deputy Chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Originally published by Bernama website, Kuala Lumpur, in English 0013 14 Oct 07.

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