A Malaysian astronaut will be the first Muslim to blast into space. The country’s television networks will offer a live broadcast of the historic event that marks a first for the nation.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor will take off on board a Russian rocket on Wednesday. The take off in the Soyuz-FG rocket is set to take place from the International Space Station (ISS) on the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The rocket will be decorated with the Malaysian flag.

The 35-year-old cosmonaut, who is a doctor in every-day life, was selected from approximately 10,000 candidates involved in the nation-wide program which began in 2003 and was destined to find the right person for this historic event. The rocket crew also includes American Commander Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko.

The Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi congratulated Sheikh Shukor and said he was very proud and happy that “our man has been chosen for this special mission into space.”

"I hope he'll do well."

"I'm sure the Russians know best after having conducted the test. They have done everything they could to ensure that the person who is finally selected for the mission will be the one who is capable of performing the task that is assigned to him," Badawi added. He will be watching the take off live from capital Kuala Lumpur along with several ministers and government officers.

The launch is scheduled for the last day of the Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasting month. Although during this sacred period all Muslims are required to fast and pray, Sheikh Muszaphar would not be obliged to do so during the 10-day mission into space.

Nevertheless, he has stated his intentions to respect the Muslim tradition and fast in space.

After months of training in Russia, the Malaysian cosmonaut will have to undergo a series of tests in order to determine the effects of microgravity and space radiation on cancer cells and human genes.

The take off cost 25 million dollars, a sum partly offset by the country's purchase of 18 Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets in a 900-million-dollar deal in 2003.