Lunar soil brought back by China's moon mission was placed on display Saturday in Hong Kong.
The sample, exhibited in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, was picked up from the moon in December 2020 by the Chang'e-5 lunar probe, the first lunar collection back to Earth in more than 40 years. The probe returned with 1,731 grams of lunar soil.
The exhibition, open to the public from June 27 to July 9, also features models of the Chang'e-5 lunar probe and hundreds of exhibits to tell the inspiring stories of Chinese scientists over the last 100 years.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said it is the first time that lunar soil is displayed in Hong Kong, adding that Hong Kong can make new contributions to the future of national space technology.
Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Tan Tieniu also delivered a speech, saying that the Hong Kong tech community has a promising role to play in the country's technological development, and that Hong Kong developing into an international innovation and technology center will bring new momentum to the country's technological development.
Chief designer of the third stage of the national lunar exploration program Hu Hao said he hopes that Hong Kong scientists will actively participate in the research of the moon sample as well as in further space missions of the country.
Nancy Ip, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and vice president for research and development at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said Hong Kong has been an active participant in the national technological development and voiced the hope that the exhibition will inspire more young people in Hong Kong to do scientific research work.
Former chief designer for Shenzhou spaceships Qi Faren, and chief designer of Long March rockets Long Lehao, among others, also attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
