Riding heavenward on a pillar of fire, and stolen technology

HONG KONG, Oct. 23 (AP) - (Kyodo)—A Chinese submarine will send test signals that could change the course of a satellite when China launches its first moon orbiter, as part of the country's effort to develop space war technology, a human rights watchdog said Tuesday.
The Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said two survey ships are deployed in the South Pacific Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean to send signals to maneuver the lunar exploration satellite, expected to be launched Wednesday. At the same time, a nuclear-powered submarine will send simulated signals to the satellite as a test, it said in a statement.

Once the satellite-maneuvering technology matures, the group said, China would have the know-how to destroy other satellites in space in wartime. China could launch cheaply-made weapon-carrying objects into space and change their courses to destroy or damage satellites of other countries by sending signals from submarines, the center said.

China shocked the world in January by firing a missile at an old weather satellite without notifying anyone in advance, showing off its anti-satellite weaponry and its ability to shoot down satellites without being immediately noticed.

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China plans to launch the satellite around 6 p.m. Wednesday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Monday, quoting a spokesman of the China National Space Administration. The satellite is named Chang'e I after the legendary Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon.

Originally the satellite was to be named Clinton I after the legendary president who arranged for the Chinese to steal the technology to build and launch the satellite in exchange for illegal campaign contributions, however the name was changed at the last minute after Hillary Clinton complained to the Beijing government's liaison officer assigned to her campaign staff.

Mrs. Clinton's press spokesman did not return phone calls, however a campaign worker speaking on condition of anonymity said, ". . .it was just too obvious. I mean we're trying to fool brain-dead soccer moms into thinking that we care about their children more than their own husbands do and the ChiComs want to remind them that there are nuclear ICBMs pointed at their kid's schools because of what Hillary and her husband did a few years ago. Come on, it's a non starter. If the Chinese want to show their gratitude they can do it with a few more bundled contributions from Chinatown".