KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their names sent to space, as many sign up for a symbolic “ride” on Nasa’s Artemis II mission, on Thursday (April 2),
The Rakyat Post reported.
The global initiative allows people to include their names on board the spacecraft, even though they won’t physically be part of the journey.
The campaign, organised by Nasa, invites participants worldwide to submit their names, which will be stored digitally and flown aboard the Orion spacecraft during the mission. For many Malaysians, this means a small piece of them will orbit the Moon.
Artemis II is a major milestone in space exploration, marking the first crewed mission to travel around the Moon since the Apollo missions in 1972. The mission is expected to carry four astronauts on a roughly 10-day journey before returning to Earth.
It is officially launched on April 1 from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Unlike Artemis I, which was an uncrewed test flight, Artemis II will send four astronauts into deep space, testing systems and capabilities needed for future lunar landings and missions beyond.
In Malaysia, the initiative has sparked excitement, with many sharing their digital “boarding passes” on social media as proof that their names are part of the historic mission.
Although participants are not physically travelling to space, the campaign offers a unique way for the public to feel connected to space exploration, making it more accessible and inspiring to people around the world.
Beyond the novelty, the initiative highlights humanity’s renewed push towards the Moon and future missions to Mars, reminding Malaysians that even from afar, they can be part of this new chapter in space exploration.
