Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor
Who was Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor?
Malaysia's first astronaut who spent 11 days aboard the International Space Station in 2007 as part of the Soyuz TMA-11 mission.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie bin Sheikh Mustapha, born on July 27, 1972, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, went to MARA Junior Science College in Terendak for his secondary education. He studied medicine at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and got his medical degree there. He became an orthopaedic surgeon in Malaysia and gained recognition as a public figure and model before being chosen for spaceflight.
Before Fame
Growing up in Kuala Lumpur during a time of quick modernization in Malaysia, Sheikh Muszaphar experienced the country's push for growth under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's Vision 2020. He studied at one of Malaysia's top science-focused secondary schools before pursuing medical studies in India. After becoming a doctor, he built his career as an orthopedic surgeon and also worked part-time as a model, which helped raise his profile during the astronaut selection process. He was chosen for the Angkasawan program, Malaysia's national astronaut project, which came from a government deal with Russia related to fighter jet procurement. He was selected after a competitive national selection process that attracted thousands of applicants.
Key Achievements
- Became the first Malaysian to travel to space, launching aboard Soyuz TMA-11 on 10 October 2007
- Spent 11 days aboard the International Space Station as part of the Angkasawan program
- Conducted medical and scientific research in microgravity, including studies on cancer cell behavior
- Became the first person to observe Ramadan and perform Islamic religious duties aboard the International Space Station
- Qualified and practiced as an orthopaedic surgeon while simultaneously serving as a national public figure and science advocate
Did You Know?
- 01.During his time aboard the International Space Station, Sheikh Muszaphar conducted experiments on liver cancer cells and leukemia cells as part of his scientific mission.
- 02.His 11-day mission coincided with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, prompting Malaysian Islamic authorities to issue a special fatwa guiding how he should observe fasting and prayer in microgravity.
- 03.He returned to Earth on a different Soyuz spacecraft than the one that carried him to the station, flying back aboard Soyuz TMA-10 with Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov.
- 04.Before becoming an astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar worked as a part-time model in Malaysia, appearing in advertisements and television commercials alongside his medical career.
- 05.He underwent training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, in preparation for his mission aboard Soyuz TMA-11.