NAJIB TO WITNESS LAUNCH OF RAZAKSAT ON APRIL 21

KUCHING, April 16 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak will witness the
launch of RazakSAT, Malaysia's second remote sensing satellite into orbit on
April 21.

Najib would observe the launch of RazakSAT at the Putrajaya International
Convention Centre (PICC), said Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister Fadillah Yusof.

RazakSAT was scheduled to be launched at Omelek island, part of Kwajalein
Atoll on April 21 at 6am Malaysia time. Kwajalein is grouped under the Marshall
Islands.

Fadillah said the RM150mil satellite, the first to orbit the Equator would
be sent into orbit on a Falcon 1 rocket owned by Calofornia-based United States'
Space Exploration Technology (SpaceX).

"RazakSAT, the engineering work of local scientists will provide useful
images for land development, monitoring of floods, jungle and the environment,"
he said when opening the "Introduction to Astronomy and Aerospace Science
seminar at Pusat Maklumat Islam (Islamic Information Centre) here Thursday.

With RazakSAT, agencies under the ministry like the National Aerospace
Agency (ANGKASA), Remote Sensing Malaysia (MACRES), National Oceanography
Department and the Meteorological Department could receive images four to seven
times in 24 hours.

Fadillah said the RazakSAT technology that could last three years was
developed following the successful launch of TiungSAT-1, the country's first
remote sensing satellite.

TiungSAT-1 was launched at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan in 2000.
--BERNAMA