Is our MY fren a astronaut?
spaceflight participant
.Have u heard this term.
I have heard flight engineer , astronaut,space tourist
(rich man tour the space)but not participant.
Our MY ''Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar
Shukor''.
Expedition16, SPACE STATION CREW--
Expedition 16
The Expedition 16 crew members pose for a portrait at
the Johnson Space Center. From the left (front row) are
Russia's Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko,
flight engineer and Soyuz commander; astronaut Peggy Whitson,
commander; and Malaysian spaceflight participant
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. From the left (back row)
are European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Léopold Eyharts,
astronaut Garrett Reisman and astronaut Dan Tani,
all flight engineers.
2007/09/28
Is he or is he not an astronaut?,By : Arman Ahmad
www.nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Just weeks before the first Malaysian blasts off
into space a curious controversy has arisen over, of all things his
job title.
Like all International Space Station (ISS) expedition members, Dr
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor's photograph was posted on Nasa's official
website. While he looks as handsome as ever in the picture taken at
the Johnson Space Centre in Texas, what has upset many Malaysians
is his designation.
The Internet has been buzzing, with email flying back and forth,
that instead of calling him an astronaut Nasa referred to him as
Malaysian space flight participant", a term reserved for space
tourists.
It was kind of disappointing that Nasa didn't call him an
astronaut. He's been through all kinds of tests for so long. Why
isn't he recognised as a proper astronaut? asked Nur Alifah
Mohamad Naba, 25.
The photograph of the Expedition 16 crew members shows Sheikh
Muszaphar posing with Russia's Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Yuri
Malenchenko, astronaut Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency (ESA)
astronaut Léopold Eyharts, astronaut Garrett Reisman and astronaut
Dan Tani.
Only Sheikh Muszaphar was not referred to as an astronaut or a
cosmonaut. This has led to some confusion over what the designation
of our Malaysian space traveller actually is.
American space tourists Dennis Tito, Gregory Olsen and Charles
Simonyi, who all paid for their trips into space, were called space
flight participants, as were South African Mark Shuttleworth and
Iranian Anousheh Ansari.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language, an astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human
space flight programme to command, pilot, or serve as a spacecraft
crewman".
Both Malaysian candidates received training for space flight in
Russia, but it is unclear whether they received the same training
as the Russian cosmonauts.
Sheikh Muszaphar will blast off on Oct 10 from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft will dock with the
ISS on Oct 12.
While the rest of his teammates on Expedition 16 are slated to
remain there until spring next year, he will spend only 10 days
there - returning with members of an earlier expedition.
Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri
Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis said titles were of little significance
compared with the trip to space.
Let Nasa give him whatever title they want.
What is important is that Russia recognises him as a cosmonaut,
he said at a buka puasa event organised by his ministry at the
Putra World Trade Centre
2.Lucky our leaders dunt care face.We are very low tech--
no car factory,no would be cosmonaut.
pl note that every one has a job or title,
like Commander/Flight Engineer.But he has none.
Why???What is his duty??
Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor will launch with Expedition 16
and land with Expedition 15.
---NASA
