The first-ever natural rubber-based protective coating for space drug transport, developed by researchers from the Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering Technology (UniKL MICET) in collaboration with other institutions, has won the Silver Medal at the national level.
The innovation, known as Cosmic Coat, was jointly developed by UniKL MICET’s Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Ong Siew Kooi and Dr. Fahmi Asyadi Md Yusof, Monash University Malaysia’s Dr. Patrick Tang Siah Ying, and Sunway University’s Prof. Ts. Dr. Goh Bey Hing.
The recognition was awarded during the Hari Inovasi Nuklear Malaysia (HINM) and Technology Preview & Showcase (TPS) 2025 on 4 September 2025.
According to Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Ong, Cosmic Coat is a pioneering Malaysian-made space radiation shielding product designed to protect drugs from X-ray and γ-ray exposure during space missions, ensuring their stability while maintaining the coating’s mechanical strength.
The coating was applied to a drug storage box and tested in real space conditions.
Cosmic Coat was placed inside ATMOS’s PHOENIX capsule, which was launched aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 on 21 April 2025.
The capsule orbited Earth to evaluate the coating’s radiation shielding capability and mechanical stability after radiation exposure.
“The PHOENIX flight mission is a collaboration with Japan’s space technology startup IDDK and Germany’s ATMOS Space firm. Our team has also filed a patent for this groundbreaking Cosmic Coat innovation,” she added.
For the record, HINM & TPS serve as an important platform to strengthen the nation’s nuclear technology ecosystem, extending its benefits to the health, agriculture, industry, environment, and education sectors, while supporting Malaysia’s aspiration towards becoming an AI Nation 2030.
HINM & TPS 2025 successfully brought together researchers, higher learning institutions, government agencies, industry players, and the community to showcase nuclear technology-based products, services, and innovations.
