Ready to tackle 'aliens'
2003-10-10 11:34
Beijing - The astronaut aboard China's first ever manned space mission will be armed with a gun and knives in case the capsule comes down in hostile territory, a state-run newspaper said on Friday.
The Jiefang Daily, quoting chief designer for the Shenzhou spacecraft Qi Faren, said all possibilities had been factored in.
"The craft may land in the ocean or in the forests in a hostile environment," said Qi in comments picked up by a host of Chinese websites.
"For the safety of the astronauts, they will take a lot of things with them like a pistol, knife and other rescue equipment including a tent and life raft so they will be able to deal with wild beasts, sharks and other dangerous animals or enemies."
If all goes well, Shenzhou V is expected to land in the vast plains of Inner Mongolia in northwest China. It will blast-off from the same region.
According to the official China Daily, three would-be astronauts have been chosen from a list of 14 to pilot the mission and one will be picked to man the craft.
It said the order of choice had been set but this could change.
Joining the ranks
"Performances by these would-be astronauts at critical moments will also count in deciding who will go to space," the paper said, citing unidentified experts.
If China succeeds in sending a man into space it will join the former Soviet Union and the United States as the only countries to do so.
Pro-Beijing newspapers have said the launch is likely next Wednesday during daylight hours.
However, there are conflicting reports as to how long the mission will last.
Earlier this week, various media reported the flight would be a single-orbit, 90-minute mission, although the Jiefang Daily said it would be a 21-hour flight that orbits the Earth 14 times.
China appears to be caught in a dilemma over the imminent launch as it tries to balance the secretive needs of its military with the overwhelming propaganda mileage and national pride that would accrue with a successful mission.
After widespread international reports on the launch, state-run media has begun in recent days to slowly release details on the historic event.