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On the 10th of October 2007, a young Malaysian was successfully launched into space becoming the nation's first Astronaut (Angkasawan). The Malaysian government had secured a seat on-board the three seater Soyuz capsule and blasted off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
It was a historic moment for the entire nation. We all held our breath as we watched our hopes and dreams ascend on a roaring column of fire towards space. The opportunity to go to outer space was given to all Malaysians. Through a selection process, more than eleven thousand shortlisted candidates chosen from the general public went through nine screening stages to become the sole Angkasawan.
Herein you will find excerpts and short stories from some of the most colourful and astonishing young candidates and like-minded individuals, vying for the coveted top spot of Angkasawan Negara. The top fifty-nine candidates of the astronaut programme are now all members of the Astronautical Association of Malaysia (AstroX) also known as the Astronaut Corps of Malaysia. This is their story and their journey to become the first Malaysian into space.
