KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4: Malaysia on Wednesday launched Southeast Asia’s first space centre, in a major milestone for the country which will see its first astronaut blast off next year.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi hailed the centre as a boost for national prestige and said it would spur the economy with space-related activities.

“The Malaysia Space Centre is a strategic and important infrastructure which will benefit space technology and further develop the country,” Abdullah said in a speech.

“This is an additional step taken to propel the country to a future that is more advanced and to move forward by acquiring more knowledge and technology,” he said.

Located just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, the space centre is a sprawling 400-acre (162-hectare) complex surrounded by palm-oil plantations.

The site houses two communications antennas operating the RAZAKSAT satellite which provides images for environmental assessment and monitoring.

Malaysia’s first astronaut and a back-up candidate will soon begin training at Moscow’s Star City before heading into space on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.—AFP