While major powers compete in militarised space races and state-led megaprojects, a group comprising a Russian astronaut trainer, Chinese science educators and Malaysian collaborators is laying the groundwork for an international youth space camp.
Set to be held in Penang’s rainforest eco-park in late 2027 at the earliest, the week-long programme will gather youth from around the region to inspire future spacefarers, scientists and global citizens through physical exercises, immersion in space and natural sciences, and ethical education to build positive personality traits.
The project is an initiative in “people’s diplomacy”, as described by Russian astronaut trainer Timofey Egorov, who has co-developed the programme with the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and Malaysian project initiator Winfred Khoo for children aged seven to 17.
Egorov, who works at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre just outside Moscow, spoke about the Russian tradition of youth space camps in nature at the Commonwealth of World Chinatowns conference this month in Penang, a Malaysian state known for its rich cultural heritage.
“The main idea is not only to become astronauts or scientists who can travel throughout the universe, but the main thing is to become a good human – a good representative of the human race to go to space,” said Egorov, who is also the general director of Russia’s Association Ecology of the Unknown.
He said the rigorous screening and training for astronauts in health, psychological readiness, motivation, communication skills and character made them exemplary role models for adolescents at the camp, to help them develop qualities such as openness, respect, mutual understanding, responsibility and gratitude.
“When you are in space, you are in a closed volume and isolated from society and any sort of communication. With only a few of your crew, you cannot escape, go home or shut the door in your room. You have to perform your mission for the sake of humanity,” Egorov said.
“It is a good thing that Malaysia has its space programme and its astronaut, and this [camp] can be implemented here very well.”
Malaysia aims to build and operate Southeast Asia’s first rocket launch pad by 2029 under its national space policy. The country’s first astronaut performed experiments on board the International Space Station over nearly 11 days in 2007.
A review essay last year in the journal Space Policy by two researchers at the Malaysian Space Agency urged the country to “act decisively to revive its space industry or risk being left behind in a rapidly advancing global landscape”.
“Strengthening this sector is not only critical to staying competitive but is also vital for unlocking space-based solutions that can accelerate national economic growth and technological advancement,” the researchers wrote.
Pointing to the International Space Station as one of the most expensive structures ever built, Egorov said: “It became possible thanks to the efforts of many countries ... No matter what happens on the surface of the Earth, there is always cooperation in space”.
As a partner, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is helping to co-develop the curriculum and plans to offer hands-on astronomy lessons, according to Egorov.
“I hope they can bring an offline teacher with DIY kits [and deliver] one lesson a day ... about the solar system or astronomy.”
Egorov said his experience leading space camps in Russia showed that children were drawn to scientific concepts, including quantum effects and special relativity theory.
“They can understand complex things if you present them in a way that is interesting to them, with pictures, questions, simple examples, and it will be efficient,” he said.
While China expands its space presence with the Tiangong space station and the proposed International Lunar Research Station with Russia, which seeks to maintain its space legacy, Southeast Asian nations are increasingly exploring their own roles in aerospace, satellite launches and the emerging low-altitude economy.
Khoo, co-founder of Commonwealth of World Chinatowns, said he started exploring the idea of organising a space camp in Southeast Asia with Egorov more than six years ago.
“While we want to inculcate an interest in going into outer space and the ethics of that, we also hope to seed the idea of a new aerospace industry, diverting it from war into a peaceful aerospace programme for space tourism, asteroid mining and commercial activities,” he said.
“Space has been the domain of governments and we hope that this sort of ground-up initiative will be a way for the public and individuals to participate.” -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
