Malaysia’s first astronaut will go to the International Space Station on a Russian spacecraft to play traditional Malay children’s games without gravity, AP reported on Wednesday.

The astronaut yet to be selected will play “batu seremban,” or “five stones” and spin traditional Malay tops in space, Agriculture Ministry parliamentary secretary Rohani Abdul Karim told lawmakers in parliament, according to national news agency Bernama.

“Batu seremban” involves throwing and catching stones, and is usually played by young girls.

“The main purpose of launching an astronaut in space is to conduct experiments in microgravity,” Rohani said. “These conditions are not available on earth … and this is an opportunity for our scientists to prove their mettle.”

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 34, and Faiz Khaleed, 26, are vying to join a Russian space expedition for eight days in September next year.

Sheikh Muszaphar is considered the “priority” candidate while Faiz is the reserve option, the government has said. They were selected from more than 10,000 candidates.

Both are currently in Moscow undergoing training.

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