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Sci-Edu UPDATED: 07:55, March 15, 2006 Malaysia announces names of 4 astronaut candidates http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200603/15/eng20060315_250721.html Malaysia Tuesday announced the name list of four astronaut candidates selected to undergo training in Russia. The four candidates are Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 34, a medical doctor, Faiz Khaleed, 26, a dentist, S. Vanajah, 35, a woman engineer, and Mohammed Faiz Kamaluddin, 34, a pilot. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who announced the name list, said the candidates would receive training in Moscow either at the end of this month or early next month. The government's decision to buy 18 Sukhoi SU-30MKN fighter jets from Russia gave birth to Malaysia's first astronaut program, said the deputy prime minister at the Royal Malaysia Air Force base near here. To reciprocate Malaysia's purchase, the Russian government offered a place for a Malaysian astronaut to join the Russian astronauts on the expedition to the International Space Station ( ISS) in October. Out of the four candidates, only two will be chosen for an 18- month training at the Star City Moscow and eventually only one candidate will go on the expedition to the ISS. Source: Xinhua Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved
