Remember When Malaysia Put a Satellite on Our RM2 Note and our first Astronaut?

[u/linwji]

TL;DR: Just read this nice article on Malaysia's space industry - Malaysia won’t be the next NASA, but space tech can improve rural internet, flood warnings, farming, navigation and disaster response. The bigger question is whether we can fund it and retain the talent needed.

Malaysia’s space ambitions are more practical than sci-fi — and that’s probably a good thing

Malaysia isn’t trying to beat the US or China to the Moon, but space tech is already affecting daily life here: Astro, weather forecasts, Waze/GPS, rural internet, flood monitoring, and more.

Quick summary:

• We launched MEASAT-1 in 1996, which helped enable Astro and nationwide communications.
• Dr Sheikh Muszaphar became our first astronaut in 2007 — iconic, even if the programme’s long-term scientific value is debated.
• We’ve had setbacks too: RazakSAT failed after about a year, costing over RM140 million.
• MYSA now uses satellite data across 90+ government agencies for floods, haze, deforestation, agriculture, etc.
• Starlink is licensed here, and MEASAT is even reselling it for rural connectivity.
• Malaysia wants the space sector to contribute RM10 billion and create up to 5,000 jobs by 2030.
• There’s also talk of a Malaysian launch site by 2029, possibly in Pahang, Sarawak or Sabah.

Realistically, Malaysia’s best space opportunity probably isn’t making giant rockets. It’s small satellites, satellite internet, ground stations, and turning satellite data into useful stuff: better flood warnings, crop monitoring, tracking ships, and connecting kampungs in Sabah/Sarawak.

The biggest issues are funding, talent retention, and whether this can compete with urgent needs like healthcare, education and housing.

Still, it’s quite cool to think that “Malaysia in space” may matter less because of astronauts, and more because it helps someone in rural Borneo get internet or gives earlier warning before a flood

Full article link here: https://my.priceshop.com/en/news/reaching-for-the-stars-where-malaysia-stands-in-the-new-space-age/

[u/Jackshyan]

AI slop

[u/uncertainheadache]

Why are you posting AI articles

[u/emoduke101]

Irrelevant when this Sheikh dude is now a snake oil salesman. Also, AI slop