Be Awake

RUB YOUR EYES AND BE AWAKE.

~ William Barrett

Of Note: The space station planners and engineers had prepared for every contingency imaginable over the years. Or so they thought. When it came time for the first Muslim astronaut to launch into space in 2007, however, a method had to be devised for daily prayer that was in line with the teachings of the Koran. So, the Malaysian Space Agency asked a panel of 150 Muslim scholars for suggestions. It was not as easy as it sounded. Even such things as the direction to Mecca were complicated. Finally, after much discussion, the agency produced "A Guideline of Performing Ibadha [Worship] at the International Space Station." Included were rules to pray only five times during a 24-hour period instead of five times every time the space station orbited the planet. In the end, the direction to Mecca was left to the astronaut's discretion.