Beijing Times reported the news of the two dummy passengers last Thursday (Aug. 22). The newspaper also quoted an unidentified influential Shenzhou designer that SZ-4 would be launched no later than Jan. 10 next year.

However, two days later (Aug. 24) Beijing Youth Daily published a clarification from an anonymous authoritative designer with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) who said that no such deadline had been set. The designer held a key role in the launch of the SZ-3 mission.

"Up until now Shenzhou-4 has not been set with a precise launch time.

Regarding the news of the SZ-4 launch by Jan. 10 next year, I don't know where the media obtains the news," said the unnamed designer.

The designer said that preparation of SZ-4 was proceeding well. Since unpredictable problems might occur before the launch, no firm launch date has been set at this time.

"Based on past experience of the three Shenzhou launches, the launch time can be delayed due to repeated adjustment to the spacecraft even when it has been transported to the launch site. After all, safety is number one," the designer said.

The designer added that if the SZ-4 mission is successful, about ten months later, which would be in late next year, SZ-5 could become China's first manned space mission.

If a successful SZ-4 mission is carried out before the end of the year, the comment suggests that China would like to launch the manned SZ-5 near the time of the National Day on Oct. 1, 2003.

Wen Wei Po, a pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, added last Friday (Aug. 23) that based on information the newspaper obtained, the number of dummies on SZ-4 would not have any bearing on the number of yuhangyuans ("astronauts") on the first manned mission.

Beijing Times reported that early this month the SZ-4 launch preparation team successfully conducted the last airdrop test of a mock Shenzhou Descent Module over water.

This was part of the on-going exercise to simulate the reentry and recovery of the module, and to test and evaluate the reliability of the Shenzhou descent subsystem and reentry technique. The report did not say where the splashdown exercise took place.

Late last month a mock Descent Module underwent a series of airdrop tests on the descent subsystem in the northwestern part of Gobi Desert.

The anonymous designer told Beijing Times that the life protection subsystem and related test conditions on SZ-4 would be even more complete than on SZ-3.

Science Investigation Continues On SZ-4
The designer also said that tentatively 54 payloads, of total mass 300 kg, would fly on SZ-4. The science payload would cover experiments on life and material sciences, and on Earth observations.

A digital remote sensing instrument will be flown for the first time to collect data on the physical states of land and ocean. However, no further details of the instrument are available.

Wen Wei Po reported on Saturday (Aug. 24) that among the payload on SZ-4 would be a variety of seeds. Tian Xiang Ecoagriculture Development Company, a commercial enterprise in Panzhihua, a city and industrial centre in the southwestern Sichuan Province, would supply at least the same number of types and quantity of seeds as on the SZ-3 mission.

In the last unmanned test mission SZ-3, the company supplied 38 different types of seeds, which included rice, wheat, vegetable and traditional Chinese medicinal herbs.

The company claimed that the growth of some seed specimen exhibited signs of variation after the spaceflight. The variation, according to the company, had initially solved the rice growing difficulty in southwestern areas.

Tian Xiang will provide three main categories of seeds to SZ-4: traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, biological products, and cash crops.

The firm hopes that after exposing the seeds on SZ-4 to space conditions, the returned specimen might also help solve crop growth problems in other areas.

Public Excitment Grows
Public interest in the Chinese manned space program is in general favourable and increasingly more exciting as the first manned mission is within the grasp of reality.

Many participants at an online discussion forum at Sina.com have expressed well wishes to the Shenzhou project and are looking forward to the first launch of the manned flight. A few participants are so eager that they would be willing to substitute the place of the dummies on SZ-4!

Some of the participants see that continuous development in the manned program would lead to a yuhangyuan setting foot on the Moon one day.

Other participants urge that China must keep up with the space effort so as not to lag its Asian neighbours. "China cannot fall behind India," writes one participant.

Another person writes: "Come on Chinese! Beat the little Japan, then surpass the United States!"

All supporters of the manned space program hold the view that it would raise the country's profile and elevate its power status internationally.

However, not all participants share the same level of excitement with the manned space effort. A person writes that the Chinese manned space program is only a show of prestige with the U.S. and it is a "waste of time, waste of money. Perhaps [China is] best to do a good job in commercialization of satellite direct broadcasting."

Difference in opinion aside, unquestionably when the first yuhangyuan crew blasts off on the momentous mission, it will stir the pride of the dragon descendants.

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