1.   He raises tourism, mining and manned missions to Mars, only to knock them down as currently impractical.

2.   What about another manned space mission toward the moon or even farther out?

3.   Downsizing may also have an impact on the quality of Malaysian officers who man these missions.

4.   Initially, the mission will be manned by an interim ambassador and two other officials.

5.   This is the second ESA mission to the Mir and the longest Western European manned mission.