SPACE PROGRAMME OPENED UP A HOST OF OPPORTUNITIES

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's Angkasawan (Space)
programme opened up opportunities between Malaysia and international space
agencies to conduct microgravity science experiments in the country, said
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Maximus Ongkili.

He said two agencies offered to share their expertise with Malaysia, namely
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Federal Space Agency of Russia
(ROSCOSMOS).

"In the Angkasawan programme in 2007, two experiments on the crystallisation
of proteins were successful, resulting in patent and trademark applications.

"Following this success, we are now collaborating with the Japanese on
utilisation of high quality growth experiments," he told reporters when met at
the Second Workshop on Microgravity Sciences here Monday.

According to Ongkili, the collaboration would span over three years an
entailed sending 24 enzymes and proteins to be crystallised in space.

On the collaboration with ROSCOSMOS, Ongkili said Malaysian scientists would
be able to conduct microgravity experiments in space using the Bio-Satellite
Programme under the Institute of Bio-Medical Problems (IBMP) of Russia.

He also urged the National Space Agency (Angkasa) and the National
Biotechnology Division (Biotek) to undertake microgravity research as an
important development programme under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, which would then
be tied-up with Malaysia's second Angkasawan programme in the next five years.

"But the second mission has to be significantly different from the first one
in terms of bringing direct benefits to the country's economy," he added.
-- BERNAMA