I heard, don't know if it is true, that Russia is prepared to sell Malaysia the Soyuz spacecraft that its first angkasawan, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, made history in.
Now what would Malaysia do with such as spacecraft, I wonder?
It can't launch it into space itself as it does not have the know-how nor the infrastructure to do so itself.
It doesn't have a viable space industry that would benefit from the design technology of the space craft.
However, it can keep it in a space museum, I suppose. A space museum is not difficult nor too costly to set up. All proud Malaysians will make a bee-line for the exhibit in order to to inflate their chests once more. The Malaysia government can collect entrance fees to recoup the money it would have to pay for this piece of immobile technology (i.e. it will never fly again).
Well, I don't know if Russia is making this a gift, or if it is selling it at a discount for goodwill purposes or what. But it does seem to me that if Russia is willing to unload this spacecraft, they consider this spacecraft as having reached its useful lifespan.
In other words, its ready for the Karang Guni man to collect it. Will Malaysia want to be the Karang Guni nation?
