Iceberg, Right Ahead 212
banned commercial cargo from the Space Shuttle. US satel-
lite companies were now forced to launch satellites with ei-
ther European or Chinese rockets. The Chinese government
decided to lower the prices to about half of the European
rockets because they needed the money. As money is often
an important factor, several US companies decided to use
the Chinese rockets only because it was cheaper.^183
The rockets launched from Xichang – a remote moun-
tainous region of China close to the border with Burma
and Vietnam. Several engineers from Western countries
worked in the area to prepare the launch of their equip-
ment. But they didn’t always believe it was a safe working
environment. The Chinese workers were also concerned
even though they never dared to say anything.^183
Because of the hilly terrain, pilots had to perform a
dangerous corkscrew maneuver before they could land at
the airport. When one westerner asked a Chinese worker if
he often flew to the area, the worker replied with, “No. It is
too dangerous.” They worked in a recently repaired satellite
processing building where a rocket motor had ignited and
started bouncing around inside the room. Shortly after
liftoff, an earlier rocket had exploded above the launch pad
only 3 miles [5 km] from their hotel. To avoid a similar
close call accident, they were now forbidden to watch the
launch from the roof of the hotel.^183
In February 1996, the US Intelsat-708 satellite on the top
of the Long March rocket was scheduled to launch early in
the morning. A US specialist wore his lucky shirt and put
2-yuan coins in his penny loafers for more luck. Because