Astronaut had OK for outback landing
By Cameron Stewart January 31, 2004
CHINA'S first astronaut was given permission to crash-land his spacecraft in the Australian outback in case of an emergency under a secret agreement between Canberra and Beijing.
But the Government did not tell the public of the disaster plan, despite alerting state and federal emergency services to the fact that a Chinese astronaut and his spacecraft might suddenly fall from the sky.
China quietly approached the Australian Government with its request in October last year, shortly before launching its first manned space flight with astronaut Yang Liwei aboard.
The successful launch received worldwide attention, but the Chinese did not reveal Australia's supporting role in the historic mission.
A spokeswoman from the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed that before the mission Australia had received a request from the Chinese Government "for possible assistance in the event China's space launch needed to make an emergency landing here".
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority was to find the Chinese capsule if it crashed in this country.
But the only key to the spacecraft in Australia was held by a Chinese embassy official in Canberra.
The plan required that the Chinese official be flown to the site of any emergency landing to open the spacecraft and let Australian rescuers in, which would have ensured Australian scientists did not enter first and conduct an impromptu inspection of China's rocket technology.
Police sources have told The Weekend Australian four areas of the outback were designated as possible landing zones for any emergency landing of the craft, known as Shenzhou V or "divine vessel".
These crash zones included a remote desert location in the far southwest of the Northern Territory and another in northwest South Australia, as well two remote locations in the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia.
Police and emergency services in those states were placed on high alert during the 21-hour space flight, which made several passes over Australia's southern coast.
"We were involved in significant planning beforehand, which included consultation with relevant state and territory police and emergency service organisations in preparation for the potential emergency de-orbit of the Chinese spacecraft," said David Templeman, director-general of Emergency Management Australia, which co-ordinated the rescue plans.
Australia is a party to the 1968 UN agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts which calls on states to render assistance to astronauts who unexpectedly fall from the sky.
Australia's role in the space launch was all the more sensitive because the mission took place only a week before Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Australia.
The secrecy surrounding the rescue arrangements also reflected Beijing's concern at the time about the possible failure of the mission and the harm which it would do to national pride.
As it was, the mission was a major success, and the Australian disaster plan was not used. Yang orbited the Earth 14 times, making him in Mr Hu's words, a "warrior" probing outer space on China's behalf.
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8541219%5E2702,00.html
By Cameron Stewart January 31, 2004
CHINA'S first astronaut was given permission to crash-land his spacecraft in the Australian outback in case of an emergency under a secret agreement between Canberra and Beijing.
But the Government did not tell the public of the disaster plan, despite alerting state and federal emergency services to the fact that a Chinese astronaut and his spacecraft might suddenly fall from the sky.
China quietly approached the Australian Government with its request in October last year, shortly before launching its first manned space flight with astronaut Yang Liwei aboard.
The successful launch received worldwide attention, but the Chinese did not reveal Australia's supporting role in the historic mission.
A spokeswoman from the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed that before the mission Australia had received a request from the Chinese Government "for possible assistance in the event China's space launch needed to make an emergency landing here".
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority was to find the Chinese capsule if it crashed in this country.
But the only key to the spacecraft in Australia was held by a Chinese embassy official in Canberra.
The plan required that the Chinese official be flown to the site of any emergency landing to open the spacecraft and let Australian rescuers in, which would have ensured Australian scientists did not enter first and conduct an impromptu inspection of China's rocket technology.
Police sources have told The Weekend Australian four areas of the outback were designated as possible landing zones for any emergency landing of the craft, known as Shenzhou V or "divine vessel".
These crash zones included a remote desert location in the far southwest of the Northern Territory and another in northwest South Australia, as well two remote locations in the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia.
Police and emergency services in those states were placed on high alert during the 21-hour space flight, which made several passes over Australia's southern coast.
"We were involved in significant planning beforehand, which included consultation with relevant state and territory police and emergency service organisations in preparation for the potential emergency de-orbit of the Chinese spacecraft," said David Templeman, director-general of Emergency Management Australia, which co-ordinated the rescue plans.
Australia is a party to the 1968 UN agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts which calls on states to render assistance to astronauts who unexpectedly fall from the sky.
Australia's role in the space launch was all the more sensitive because the mission took place only a week before Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Australia.
The secrecy surrounding the rescue arrangements also reflected Beijing's concern at the time about the possible failure of the mission and the harm which it would do to national pride.
As it was, the mission was a major success, and the Australian disaster plan was not used. Yang orbited the Earth 14 times, making him in Mr Hu's words, a "warrior" probing outer space on China's behalf.
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8541219%5E2702,00.html