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Sheikh Shukor: I felt closer to God in outer space
Shukor, who spoke about his adventures in space at a conference organized by Turkish satellite telecommunications and cable TV service provider Türksat last week in Ankara, urged Turkey and other Muslim countries to embark on space-related research projects and send teams into space. Shukor further expressed the hope that Turkey and Malaysia can embark on joint space research projects.
The Malaysian astronaut, who is trained as an orthopedic surgeon and spent 11 days in space in 2007 aboard the Soyuz TMA-11 through the Angkasawan program, an initiative by the Malaysian government to have a Malaysian astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS), told Today's Zaman that as a child his bedroom had always been covered with posters of Star Wars, Superman and outer space, and that it had always been his dream to be an astronaut and travel to space.
“In Malaysia no one was really expecting anyone to head off to space, but I was determined to realize my dream, so I became a doctor because I like research and science,” Shukor explained. In 2006, the aspiring astronaut and three other finalists were selected from 11,435 applicants for the Angkasawan spaceflight program, a joint effort between Russia and Malaysia.
“In order to go on such a trip the medical requirements are very strict,” Shukor explained. “You have to be able to see well, hear well, your teeth must be healthy and you can't have any scars from operations due to the risk that they would reopen under the high air pressure in space,” he said. Following an intensive 18-month training program, which involved a month-long training in America, Shukor embarked on the journey of a lifetime on Oct. 10, 2007.
Interestingly, the young doctor's trip coincided with the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and he celebrated Eid al-Fitr in space. Shukor told Today's Zaman that he fasted for two days whilst in space and felt no hunger or fatigue at all. “When I was in space it hit me just how tiny the world really is, and I felt very close to God. It was like a renewal of faith. I began to read and understand the Quran more,” he said, relating that when praying on the trip he had to anchor his feet so that he wouldn't float. A guidebook has now been written for Muslim astronauts in space on praying in low-gravity environments, how to locate Mecca from space and issues surrounding fasting.
The team slept six hours every day while in space, and the rest of the time was spent working on research. Shukor conducted experiments relating to liver and leukemia cancer cells and the crystallization of proteins and microbes in space during the course of his trip as part of a research project he hopes to complete this year, he told his Turkish audience. Shukor said that since the United States, Russia and China are conducting important research in space, it is time that Turkey and other Muslim countries follow their lead and plan to send teams into space.
“Many people have decided they want to travel to space after hearing accounts of my trip at my conferences. This is something that gives me great satisfaction because travelling to space is something I would encourage everyone to aspire to do,” he said, adding that he is hoping to return to space in the near future.
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