Surprises at Malaysia's National Planetarium

Our Automologist, ATHERTON, takes a break from writing about cars to visit a place of learning, only to come across something very familiar...

Sometime, when we visit a place of interest, we make startling discoveries that spellbound us. The National Planetarium is one such place. It is a great place to discover things firsthand, that we would otherwise come across only on the web or telly. It is also a place where children are transfixed with wonder and amazement.

Over the weekend, I went to the National Planetarium; I have always been intrigued, even as a child, by the intricacies of space. Still am. Lo and behold, I’m now working closely with an organisation that has a range of Space Certified Technology products (by that, I mean our sponsor, X-1R).

Entry to the Planetarium gallery is free but if your kids would like to catch one of the shows, then there is nominal fee to be paid. As you enter the darkened setting, you will first notice the Space Pod. It is a roller coaster-like capsule that seats two, that flips you up and down, back and forth, and takes you on an immersive 3D ride of planets in the solar system.

Around the same area, you are greeted by all sorts of interactive exhibits, from computers with kid's word puzzles and colouring activities to robots at work.

 Image credit – denai.my 

In another hall, you will see a chart that shows space exploration from the earliest days till now. There is a mock-up of the Soyuz capsule and an interior of a spaceship where kids can have a feel of the switches and seating position. There is a mock-up of a space shuttle attached to a rocket too.

If you aspire to be an astronaut, there is a chart that shows you the steps and guidelines to achieving your dreams. There is even a bust of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. In another exhibit with a Mars setting, you will find miniature models of rovers and dune buggies.

At a section called ‘Spin-Off’ was where is I was ‘star-strucked’, no pun intended, by a product prominently displayed (I’ll come to that in a bit). Spinoff is a publication by NASA featuring technology that is available to the public. It was first published in 1976 and features on average 50 technologies each year in its annual publication. NASA distributes free copies to universities, inventors, media, and the general public. Many of these space technologies have trickled into our everyday lives.

In this Spin-Off section, a range of products are displayed, and one that caught my eye was X-1R’s Diesel System Treatment. X-1R has and continues to supply NASA with the lubricant to move their massive crawlers that carry a payload of up to 12 million pounds. This significant fact acknowledges X-1R’s role in the space exploration programme and adds a whole lot of credibility to the brand. Discovering X-1R’s lubricant on display was the icing on the cake!

‘nuff said.

Not only are X-1R’s products Space Certified Technology, but it also indicates (with an exclamation point) that it can be used in our daily lives. So, if you have any doubt whatsoever about X-1R’s products or if you’ve heard a mechanic saying that you don't need additives, sweep that aside and go determine it yourself. To find out how you can save on fuel cost or how to make your vehicle perform at its optimal best or if you're just concerned about the planet, go to: www.x1rasia.com  

Yep, that’s where X-1R is at… the Spin-Off section.