THE contestants believe that they are taking one giant leap as space tourists.

But their shuttle is a Hollywood prop and its inhabitants are set to become victims of one of the most elaborate hoaxes in the history of television, according to the makers of a new reality TV series.

Nine “thrill-seeking” contestants are preparing to undergo final training at the “Space Tourism Agency of Russia” for the trip of a lifetime. They are the stars of Space Cadets, a new Channel 4 series from the makers of Big Brother.

Four will be chosen to board their shuttle and blast off for a five-day orbit of Earth, where they will perform scientific experiments and return as heroes. Except they will not. Their shuttle was last operated by Clint Eastwood in the film Space Cowboys and despite being built from a Nasa blueprint, it will remain earthbound. The launch sound has been created by a Hollywood specialist and the shuttle will tip and rock in simulation of space flight. A giant custom-built screen outside the shuttle will provide the illusion of a view of Earth from space, including a hurricane over Mexico and a glimpse of Britain.

They will not experience weightlessness because they are only orbiting “near space”. But their every move will be monitored by 34 cameras and relayed at prime time each night. That, at least, is what the programme makers are claiming about their new production, although in the ever weirder world of reality TV, where former BBC royal correspondents willingly climb into coffins full of rats, anything is possible.

In order to convince the contestants that they are going to Russia for a fortnight’s training, the producers say, they will be taken on a helicopter night flight. In reality they will fly for hours around Britain on a carefully mapped flightpath over the sea and unpopulated areas so that they do not recognise any landmarks.

Their actual destination, a disused military base, has been given a Soviet-style makeover to resemble Star City, the cosmonaut training centre in Russia. Every plug socket, manhole cover and lightbulb has been replaced with the Russian version, and even the smell of cooked cabbage will be introduced. Space Cadets, planned to run for ten days, has been in secret preparation for eight months. Actors are sprinkled among the real contestants to head them off in case they get suspicious.

If the contestants — who are being kept out of contact with the outside world — do rumble the scam, screens will be filled with repeats of Friends. Space Cadets begins on December 7 at 9pm.

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