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Chinese agency interviews space launch commander

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 October 2003, 06:00 CDT

Text of interview by Sun Zifa entitled: "Fully prepared and looking forward to China's first manned space flight with full confidence - interview with Guo Baoxin, Commander Zero of manned space flight launch site of Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre", carried by Chinese news agency Zhongguo Xinwen She

Jiuquan, 14 October: "One hour to go, 30 minutes to go, ... [ellipsis as received] five, four, three, two, one, fire and take off!" With these firm and sonorous orders, China's Shenzhou spaceships have smoothly made their takeoff and successfully entered their predetermined orbits one after another from the manned space flight launch site at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.

The accurate and forceful orders of Commander Zero Guo Baoxin of China's manned space flight launch site have sent four Shenzhou spaceships, Shenzhou I to Shenzhou IV, into space.

Now, China's first manned spaceship, Shenzhou V, has entered the countdown stage of its launch, and Guo Baoxin will be giving orders that will open a new era in China's space flight history. China's manned space flight project will make its first manned flight and Chinese people will begin their first space travel as he gives his firm and sonorous orders.

Guo Baoxin appeared exceptionally excited and worked up as he spoke of China's upcoming first manned space flight. He told our reporter in an exclusive interview that with the abundance of matured experience accumulated from the previous four successful launches and the detailed and meticulous preparations made before the launch, China's first manned space flight will definitely proceed smoothly. "I have great confidence and look forward to the early arrival of this moment," he said.

Bespectacled and always wearing a smile as he speaks, Guo Baoxin looks more like a gentle and refined scholar. If I had not heard his self-introduction, I would never have guessed that he was a career soldier who had spent more than 20 years in the army. Guo Baoxin said he had been working on the test launching of rockets, satellites and spaceships at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre these past 20 years, starting from ignition button controller, small system commander and other grassroots positions and gradually finding his way up to the present post of commander zero.

"Commander zero really means commander-in-chief for test launches, and countdown orders are but a very, very small part of the commander zero's work," said Guo Baoxin. Zero is a way of address and a code. The commander-in-chief of the launch site has been called commander zero since the launch of China's first man- made satellite East-is-Red I.

Commander zero must not only coordinate various pre-launch tests and assume the organization and command of various systems at the time of the launch, but must organize the elimination of faults and problems found in the course of tests and inspections. He must resolutely and promptly handle sudden accidents to ensure the smooth progress of the launch. "One may say he is the centre of location, responsibility and role at the launch site," he said.

Full preparation is the prerequisite and guarantee for full confidence. As disclosed by Guo Baoxin, commander zero at the time of the spaceship launch and head of the launch test station of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre at ordinary times, the launch test station has been busy making a series of preparations for the manned space flight after the test flight of Shenzhou IV.

Guo Baoxin said that although China has accumulated matured experience from Shenzhou I to Shenzhou IV and has built quite a perfect set of test launch procedures, preparations for the Shenzhou V manned spaceship launch brook no slacking off. "We have but one target - to ensure the complete success of China's first manned space flight!"

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