Independence–X Aerospace from Malaysia is lead by Mohd Izmir Yamin (Aerospace Engineering), who has extensive experience in rocket propulsion and robotic control systems. Independence–X Aerospace has a strong fleet of strategic advisors that have served in various engineering and business fields as professional engineers, technologists and academicians. This team has technical and non-technical departments which will effectively distribute tasks based on members' expertise. Our primary advantage in joining this competition is our strategic geographical location, which helps to reduce launch costs, and the utilization of abundant direct solar reception. New team members will be recruited through online advertising. Our strategy is to keep things simple and less complicated but still able to achieve the PRIZE objectives. This will help to reduce potential errors and flaws in our system. Avoiding bureaucratic situations will help to speed up the design, fabrication, and test processes.

We have developed an academic and technical partnership with Malaysian university Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). In addition, the Malaysian Entrepreneurs Development Center (MEDEC) will be the primary support on business advice regarding this project. These strategic partnerships will help to expand our mission to business, technology, academia, and beyond.

Our Objectives

• Transform Malaysia into a developed space country by the year 2020.
• Fully utilizing the advancement of space technology to improve life through enhancing businesses and industries.
• Create technology spin-offs to serve local industries in having locally available technologies that can produce newer and better product for the nation’s economic growth

Team Members

Team leader
Mohd Izmir Yamin posses a Bachelor (Hons) of Engineering (Mechanical) and Diploma in Aerospace Engineering also has background in Aerospace Engineering in the industry, mainly in propulsion and robotics field. Who is currently working towards winning the Google Lunar X-Prize and to create a potential business spin offs from this participation. He has proved numerous achievements in designing, fabricating and launching experimental research both liquid and solid propellant rockets. His works on rockets have paved him the way for environmental friendly and low cost system to launch a rocket to higher altitude, which successfully launched the nation’s first ever self-designed and local made experimental sounding rocket into the Malaysian airspace. He has also designed and built a pulse jet engine on experimental basis. His interest is not only in rockets and jet engines but also in robotics system, communications, and vision system. He has participated and won in numerous national robotic competitions. He has demonstrated skill in several different publicized aerospace projects and competitions that won several local and international awards (Christian – Dupont Belgian Minister of Science and Innovation award of the year 2006 in Brussels, Belgium). 1 Gold and Silver medal in Eureka, Belgium International Invention and Innovation award 2006, 1 Gold Medal in Invention-Innovation and Design, Shah Alam 2006, 2 Bronze Medals in International Technology Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur 2006 and Malaysian Technology Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur 2006. Most recently he led a group project to design a conceptual multistage launcher to put a satellite in orbit around the planet Mars, as part of a special topics course under the Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion. He is also working on an individual research project to develop the compression system on what will be Asia’s first Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) powered remotely piloted aircraft and proposed long endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system for surveillance, low altitude remote sensing and communications. He has also proved himself as a leader, technical skills, and enthusiasm will be a strong asset in advancing this project.

Technical Asst. Director
Mohd Hadi Anuar Fakharuzi is a training engineer who has worked for mechanical and electrical consultant firm as a design engineer. He has potential and experience in designing mechanical system for building services area especially on tank design, piping design, sewerage design, and water management design or also can be said as fluid work design. He has qualification of manufacturing engineering by year 2004 and has experience of supervise a manufacturing process of Panasonic Air Conditioning Company. Since he has interest in aerospace engineering field, he upgraded his study in mechanical engineering majoring in thermofluid and propulsion studies. Currently he is running several projects such as cooling system design of PEM fuel cell for Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV) application, Amphibian vehicle for land and water usage vehicle, and also for this coming Google Lunar X-Prize competition. He has expertise in computer added design (CAD), computer added analysis (CAE) and also computer added manufacturing (CAM). At the present with all experience, expertise, interest, he will use all his capability to working with all partners in GLXP for ensuring this dream will become reality.

Non-Technical Director
Mohamad Hisyam Mokhtar is the Head of Non-Technical and the Official Spokesperson for Team Independence-X Aerospace. Formerly a Human Sciences student from International Islamic University Matriculation Center, he later pursued his Bachelor Degree in Hotel Management from Universiti Teknologi Mara Malaysia (UiTM Malaysia). Though he has no formal education in Space studies, he believes commercial space is the future business. He started to develop an interest in space since he was a child, when he first received a NASA rocket model as a birthday gift. He also has a great interest in flying object such as airplane and helicopter and he knew that he will work in a field related to his interest. He strongly believes in the term “There’s no such thing as impossible”, therefore this has given him a strong reason to participate in Google Lunar X-Prize competition. He is responsible in running the Non-Technical department, which has 5 different departments; namely Human Resource department, Finance & Account department, Legal department, Marketing Communications department, and Business Development department. To strengthen himself so that he can lead the Non-Technical better, he plans to continue his education in Master of Science in Space Management at International Space University (ISU), Strasbourg, France.