In perhaps the most elaborate hoax ever devised for TV, contestants on Space Cadets, an upcoming British reality series, have been led to believe that they are going on a trip to outer space, the London Times reported today (Thursday). The newspaper said that the nine contestants are about to undergo training in what they believe is Russia after actually circling around Britain for hours. Their training center, a onetime British military base now populated by Russian-speaking actors, has been given a makeover to resemble Star City, the cosmonaut training center in Russia, and their space shuttle is actually the movie spaceship built for the Clint Eastwood movie Space Cowboys, the Times said. The sound of the launch has been created by Hollywood sound technicians, and an outside screen will provide the illusion of a view of Earth. Space Cadets is due to ... er ... launch on Dec. 7.