Russia's Glavkosmos, a commercial launch subsidiary of the state-owned space agency Roscosmos, is now in active discussions with Sabah's state investment arm, Qhazanah Sabah Bhd, over the potential development of a spaceport in the Malaysian state of Sabah.
A study conducted by Glavkosmos has identified Sabah as the most suitable location in all of Southeast Asia for orbital launches — including low-earth and sun-synchronous orbits — owing to its strategic coastal geography and safe rocket stage drop zones.
Qhazanah Sabah chairman Anifah Aman confirmed the talks after receiving a Glavkosmos delegation led by deputy director-general Vitaly Safonov, noting that the spaceport project could generate high-paying employment for over 2,000 people in the region.
This Russian proposal builds on Malaysia's broader national ambition to become Southeast Asia's first country with its own rocket launch pad by 2029, a target previously outlined by the Malaysian Space Agency (ANGKASA), with three locations — Pahang, Sarawak, and Sabah — already shortlisted for development.
Glavkosmos itself carries significant credentials in the space sector, having set a record last year with 51 simultaneous satellite launches into orbit and currently operating commercial Soyuz-2 missions from Russia's Vostochny, Baikonur, and Plesetsk spaceports.
