Looking to the stars: Planetarium Negara seeks to inspire a new generation of space explorers

Malay Mail reports that Planetarium Negara in Kuala Lumpur is experiencing a surge in public interest in space exploration, three decades after its establishment. This renewed interest is attributed to major global space initiatives, such as NASA's Artemis programme to return humans to the Moon by 2028 and its Mars Sample Return effort.

Planetarium Negara director Mohd Zamri Shah Mastor highlighted that while the institution's core mission of raising public awareness and sparking interest in astronomy and space science remains unchanged since 1994, visitors today are seeking more engaging and experiential ways to connect with these subjects. The planetarium has introduced new immersive exhibits and engaged the public through social media, leading to a noticeable increase in visitors from the second half of 2025 through the first half of 2026, with roughly 300,000 people visiting annually.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.