http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle4826302.eceFrom Times Online September 25, 2008
Chinese publish tales from space, even before take-off
Jane Macartney, Beijing
China’s state news agency worked faster than the speed of light - and certainly more swiftly than the country’s three newest astronauts - when it published an "in space" conversation among the trio even before they left Earth.
The gaffe by the Xinhua news agency involved an article posted on its website well before the launch this evening of the Shenzhou VII space craft that described the vessel in orbit and quoted entire conversations from the crew.
The story, titled “Sleepless Night on the Pacific, Sidelights on the Observation and Control of the 30th Lap of the Shenzhou 7 Spaceship”, had disappeared by the end of the day and was described as a technical error.
But its appearance highlights China’s frequent manipulation of the media and the readiness of Communist Party officials and propaganda mandarins to resort to sleight of hand, if not fakes, to ensure perfection in the public image.
With a burst of flame and smoke, China really did send into orbit this evening the riskiest mission so far of its fledgling space programme, seeing off three astronauts on a voyage whose highlight will be the country’s first space walk.
President Hu Jintao was on hand at the desert launch centre with some parting words of encouragement for the three air force colonels who were blasted off at 9.10pm (1310 GMT) on China’s third manned space venture.
Standing in front of the three astronauts – or taikonauts as they are known in China from the Mandarin word for space – President Hu said: “This will be a major step forward for our country’s aerospace technology. You can certainly fulfil this glorious and sacred task. The motherland and its people await your triumphant return."
The space walk, essential if China is to fulfil its extra-terrestrial ambition to build a permanent space laboratory, is expected to take place on Friday or Saturday and to be carried out by the team leader, 41-year-old Zhai Zhigang. But the Xinhua story, dated September 27, was able to report conversations that Mr Zhai and his two fellow astronauts would hold in two days.
The dialogue, according to the state news agency, goes:“First-level measurement arrangement!”
After this order, signal lights all were switched on, various data show up on rows of screens, hundreds of technicians staring at the screens, without missing any slightest changes ...
“One minute to go!”
“Changjiang No.1 found the target!”...
The firm voice of the controller broke the silence of the whole ship. Now, the target is captured 12 seconds ahead of the predicted time ...
“The air pressure in the cabin is normal!”
“Ten minutes later, the ship disappears below the horizon. Warm clapping and excited cheering breaks the night sky, echoing across the silent Pacific Ocean.”
As to whether that conversation will actually take place, and whether it will be reported again verbatim by Xinhua, the world may now have to wait until Saturday to find out.
The spacecraft is due to land somewhere on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia later that day.