Malaysia's first micro-satellite

Malaysia's first micro-satellite

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): A small Malaysian observation satellite has been launched from a Russian cosmodrome in Kazakstan, one month after technical problems kept it from heading into space, the national Bernama news agency reported Wednesday.

A Russian launch vehicle from Baikonur cosmodrome successfully put Malaysia's first micro-satellite, Tiungsat-1, into low orbit Tuesday, said the head of the project, Ahmad Sabirin Arshad.

The 50-kilogram Tiungsat-1 started transmitting its first signals to a ground station at the Malaysian National University near Kuala Lumpur seven hours after the launch, Ahmad was quoted as saying.

The satellite was lifted into space with two Italian satellites and two satellites belonging to the Saudi Arabian Space Research Institute.