Malaysia weighs concerns of Muslim space travelers

One of the five pillars of Islam requires the faithful to pray five times a day, and to face Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, while doing so. Astronauts aboard spaceships could have difficulty meeting these requirements.

“Among the astronaut’s needs, if he is a Muslim, are guidelines on performing prayers in space, and other aspects of life according to Islamic principles,” Malaysian government official Mohd Ruddin Abdul Ghani told a two-day meeting of scientists and religious experts to thrash out solutions.

There are three Muslims on a shortlist of four candidates from which Malaysia must pick two in May to begin training as astronauts. The program was launched two years ago, after Russia offered the country a free trip into space aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.

The trip, meant to sweeten a deal for Malaysia’s US$900-million purchase of Russian-made fighter planes, will see the best man or woman blasting off with Russian astronauts in October 2007 to spend six to eight days aboard the International Space Station.

The effort aims to boost public support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s push for new “growth industries” such as biotechnology, space science and information technology to help broaden Malaysia’s economy, which relies heavily on its reputation as a low-cost manufacturer.

Following Earth time and facing in the direction of Earth are the key elements to solving the problem, said Zainol Abidin Abdul Rashid, a professor at the space science institute attached to the National University of Malaysia.

Zainol said he had written a computer program with the help of his graduate students to calculate the correct prayer times and directions for astronauts, once their positions are keyed in.

“It can be set up on a computer or even a personal digital assistant, and figuring out your location is as simple as connecting to the Internet,” Zainol told Reuters.

After securing the go-ahead from Islamic experts, he said he expected to be able to offer free program downloads from 2007.

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