Angkasawan Negara landed!

The Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft carrying the Angkasawan Negara and the crew of ISS Expedition XV landed in a ballistic trajectory ten minutes after re-entry at a location 400km north east of the targetted landing spot at 6.43pm (Malaysian time).

More news will follow suit of well being of the crew and scientific specimens and experiments result conducted in space.

*Updates.

This is Reuters’ report, as of 7.05pm:

 

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MOSCOW (Reuters) – 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.

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.

 

This is Bernama.com’s report, as of 7.24pm:

October 21, 2007 19:24 PM

Angkasawan Returns Safely To Earth

From Abdul Rahman Ahmad MOSCOW, Oct 21 (Bernama) — After 11 days in space, Malaysian angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha returned to earth, marking the success of Malaysia’s first space mission and the country’s active participation in the space industry that was once a dream beyond imagination. The Soyuz TMA-10, carrying him and two other crew member, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, landed at the space drop zone in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, some 1,500km from here at about 2.37pm local time (6.37pm Malaysian time) after travelling three hours and 23 minutes from the International Space Station, ISS. His safe return was received with great relief and applause by the crowd at the packed Mission Control Centre, here. They included Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and Science, Technology and Innovations Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis. High ranking officials of the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, including its Director, Anatoli Perminov, were also present to witness the landing. Others present were the angkasawan’s parents, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor and Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad and his elder brother, Sheikh Ahmad. Immediately after the landing, a logo of the Malaysian angkasawan mission was affixed on the wall of the Malaysian Technical Control Centre, a symbol of Malaysia’s success in completing the mission. As the spacecraft undocked from the ISS at 11.15am local time, many prayed for a safe landing for the Soyuz TMA-10 as the impact from the fall would be great after travelling at a speed of 755 metres per second upon entering the earth atmosphere. But the impact was minimised after the parachutes were released from the spacecraft at a height of 10km before hitting the ground. Six helicopters were deployed to locate the spacecraft. The Director of the Malaysian Space Programme, Col Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh was at the landing site to take Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor to a temporary medical centre to rehabilitate the Malaysian angkasawan from the microgravity he had experienced for the past 11 days while in space. The Malaysian angkasawan was later taken to Chakalovsky airbase near the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Star City, here where a ceremony would be held to receive him by Najib. And the Malaysian angkasawan will stay in Moscow for the next two weeks for quarantine and rehabilitation before returning to Malaysia.

This is The Star’s report on the successful landing of Angkasawan Negara, as of Monday, 22 October 2007:

Nation

Monday October 22, 2007

 

Angkasawan in good condition

Angkasawan’s return to earth

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s first Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor completed his 11-day stint in space and returned safely to Earth on Sunday.

Safe return: Dr Sheikh Muszaphar getting off a helicopter in Kustanay after landing in the Kazakhstan steppe on board the Soyuz TMA 10 space capsule yesterday. (Inset) Sheikh Mustapha praying before his son’s landing. — Reuters

The Soyuz TMA-10 capsule which brought him back to Earth, together with commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, landed in Kazakhstan at 6.37pm Malaysian time.

There were anxious moments though, when Nasa, which was broadcasting the event live, said the capsule had veered off course and landed some 340km from the target landing spot in Arkylk, Kazakhstan.

Muszaphar’s mother Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad, who was watching, broke down in tears.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis and their wives at the control centre then offered a thanksgiving prayer.

Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) chief Anatoli Perminov then congratulated Najib.

A recovery team comprising six military Russian helicopters later located the capsule and brought out the cosmonauts at 6.52pm, beginning with Yurchikhin, followed by Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and finally Kotov.

They were brought to a tent set up next to the capsule and given immediate medical attention as part of the recovery procedure.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar’s health was reported to be in “very good” condition. He had earlier bid farewell to the crew at the International Space Station where he spent nine days conducting experiments.

He also hugged and shook the hands of Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchencko and new ISS commander Peggy Whitson, both of whom had flown with him on the Soyuz TMA-11 on Oct 10.

The returning Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft undocked from the ISS at 3.14pm Malaysian time and began its quick descent to Earth.

At 5.47pm, the capsule commenced its de-orbit burn and engine rockets fired for just over four minutes to slow the craft down in preparation for its separation into three parts, one of which – called the descent module – contained the crew members. The other two parts were disposed of in space.

The craft entered the outer reaches of the earth’s atmosphere at 6.14pm. It then picked up speed as it began to be pulled by Earth’s gravity, travelling at speeds over 200m per second.

Once in the atmosphere, the external part of the capsule heated up to a temperature of as high as 9,000 degrees Kelvin (8,700°C).

There was also a 10-minute “communications blackout” when the capsule entered the atmosphere – a normal occurrence caused by a surge of overwhelming heat generated by the capsule, rendering any form of communication impossible.

There was also suspense when it took a few moments for the Mission Control Centre (MCC) in Moscow to re-establish contact with the capsule and to confirm that the crew inside were safe.

When confirmation came, there was applause from the Malaysians at the control centre.