KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- As Malaysia's first astronaut headed for outer space on Wednesday, the whole nation was abuzz with excitement over the historic flight.

Malaysia's orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustafa, 35, disappeared into the evening sky on the Wednesday Evening of Oct. 10, 2007 from the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, the same launch site for the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, in 1961.

The astronaut, selected from more than 10,000 candidates, blasted off with Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko on board a Russian Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft.

In Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC), Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi led more than 1,800 people, including 500 school children, to witness the first astronaut's flight to space.

At Independence Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian people crowded to watch the launch on the giant screen. Even in restaurants, the dinners' eyes were glued to the TV screen as they had their meals.

The King, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and the queen, Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah congratulated Sheikh Muszaphar for being the first Malaysian to go on a space mission.

"This is a historic occasion for all Malaysia, especially when the country had just celebrated its 50th anniversary recently," the King said in his special address at the Istana Negara on Wednesday.

Malaysians now "stand a few inches taller," said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak after the first astronaut was lifted off on Wednesday.

"We must do what we can as a small country but with big ambitions," Najib added.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is recovering from coronary bypass and wound debridement surgeries, also watched the live telecast of the launch.

"What he will share with the people will be a source of inspiration for the coming generations," Mahathir said in a statement.

Many local blogs and websites posted news of the event as well as messages of congratulations and good wishes for the first Malaysian astronaut.

Dr Ezura, a colleague of Sheikh Muszaphar, wrote in his blog that "I am so proud and glad that he is from the medical profession."

"I hope it will inspire our children and youth, especially the younger generation to achieve similar things," A. S. Kasah, who comes from eastern state of Sabah, wrote in his blog.

Malaysia's first astronaut will be kept busy doing work for three space agencies during his 10-day sojourn in space. He would conduct experiments on tropical disease microbes for Malaysia, eyesight and muscles research for the Europe Space Agency, tests on the effects of radiation in space for the Japanese Space Agency.

During a 15-minute videoconferencing session with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from the International Space Station on Tuesday，Oct. 16, 2007, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor has expressed that he hope that the younger generation will take up space engineering to enable the country to build its own rocket one day, local media reported on Wednesday. Sheikh Muszaphar also said "I hope this will be a new era for all Malaysians."

Sheikh Muszaphar also said his experiments were progressing well and on time. It was great work with the crew at the International Space Station (ISS), and both the Russian and Americans were helping him all the time, he was quoted as saying by The Star.

Prime Minister Badawi said he was glad that the videoconferencing went through after the first one was dashed due to a transmission hitch from Moscow on Sunday.

Badawi's wife Jeanne Abdullah, who also participated in the videoconference, said as a mother, she wanted to know if Dr SheikhMuszaphar was eating well and if the other crew members enjoyed the Malaysian food that was sent up there.

"I am eating well and my health is great. The crew enjoyed the food," Sheikh Muszaphar said. Jeanne Abdullah told him to take care and that all Malaysians were looking forward to his homecoming.

MOSCOW (Reuters), Oct. 21, 2007 - Malaysia's first astronaut landed safely in Kazakhstan on Sunday with two Russian cosmonauts after spending 11 days in space, a Reuters witness at Moscow's mission control reported.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, an orthopaedic surgeon and university lecturer from Kuala Lumpur, returned to earth in a Russian-made Soyuz capsule with International Space Station commander, Fyodor Yurchikhin, and flight engineer, Oleg Kotov.

Source by xinhuanet

Edited by Yu Sufen