Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing said the establishment and progress of the Myanmar Space Agency (MSA) marked the realization of a long-held national dream, as he attended a ceremony showcasing technologies completed during the government’s first 100-day plan.

He said space technology would play a vital role in national development, helping improve disaster monitoring, environmental research and the use of satellite data for economic and scientific purposes. He also urged the MSA to continue advancing its work, saying the country’s long-term goal should include launching satellites and eventually sending Myanmar astronauts into space.

Following the ceremony, the president met with preliminary candidates selected for Myanmar’s first astronaut programme. He said further assessments would be carried out before the country’s first astronauts are chosen, adding that the candidates had already undergone rigorous academic, practical and medical evaluations and would become valuable human resources for Myanmar’s future space programme.