PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), Aug 26 (NNN-Bernama) — The Malaysian Space Board, which convened for the first time Thursday, agreed in principle that the government ratify the international space treaty in line with the country’s priorities and interests, according to a Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) statement Friday.
MOSTI said the government’s priority for now is a security and liability treaty related to the issue of suspected rocket debris discovered in Sarawak at the end of July.
It said regarding the issue of the discovery, the matter will be further investigated by the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) and the Malaysian Department of Chemistry.
On July 31, MYSA said debris from the re-entry of China’s Long March 5B rocket was detected at 12.55 am (July 31).
It also said the debris from the rocket caught fire while re-entering the earth’s airspace and the movement of the burning debris also crossed Malaysia’s airspace in addition to being detected in several areas including Sarawak’s airspace.
The Malaysian Space Board, among others, is responsible for regulating space-related activities for safety purposes, registration of space projects and provisions for space activity offences.
It will also ensure that the country’s space activities are carried out responsibly, safely, securely, and in compliance with internationally agreed rules and standards.
— NNN-BERNAMA
