AsianScientist (Sep. 13, 2011) – The Malaysian government will expand the country’s satellite development program with a RM200 million (US$66 million) boost from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).
During a visit to Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn Bhd on Friday last week, the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Maximus Ongkili revealed that the allocation under the Tenth Malaysia Plan would provide for the next phase of the RazakSAT satellite program.
“The allocation reflects the government’s commitment in ensuring Malaysia maintains its world leadership in operating remote sensing satellites in the Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO),” Dr. Ongkili said.
The five-year RazakSAT-2 program will be driven by the National Space Agency (ANGKASA) and ASTB, and continue the RazakSAT Satellite Program that was launched on July 14, 2009.
An inter-ministerial committee, coordinated by MOSTI, will be set up to manage and optimize the resources from the satellite for national use.
“Being a ground breaking effort, the operations of RazakSAT in the NEqO posed significant challenges. However, RazakSAT engineers, with the Malaysian innovative spirit, have been able to address most of the challenges, achieving success with RazakSAT capturing more than 1,000 images to date.”
“The images will be utilized for various applications such as mapping, agriculture, fishery as well as urban and coastal monitoring,” Dr. Ongkili added.
The RazakSAT-2 satellite program will include upgrades to systems capability, such as satellite hardware and software. RazakSAT-2 is expected to be completed in 2015.
Dr. Ongkili said that space and satellite technology would contribute to the economic growth and gross national income through its supply chain and employment opportunities gained as part of the technology spin-off initiatives.
The Minister called for human capital development while sustaining existing local talent, as part of Malaysia’s “brain gain” initiative towards achieving a high income nation status.
Also present during the ATSB visit was the Deputy Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Fadillah Yusof, the ministry’s secretary-general Dato’ Madinah Mohamad, ATSB chairman Datuk Noraini Ahmad, and CEO Datuk Dr. Ahmad Sabirin Arshad.
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Source: MOSTI.
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