Exhibition on China's Space Technology to Open in Hong KongAn exhibition showing the history of space development in China is expected to open at Hong Kong Science Museum on August 22.An array of historical objects and artifacts related to Chinese rockets and satellites will be featured at the exhibition. Among them are the newly developed Long March 2F Launch Vehicle, the "Shenzhou" spacecraft which is intended for future manned space mission and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flag once flown on board the "Shenzhou" spacecraft in orbit. "Conquering new frontiers in space has not only fulfilled our dream but also yielded spin-offs that improve our standard of living," Acting Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Lolly Chiu said at a contract-signing ceremony here Friday. Satellite TV, communication and global positioning technology are just a few examples of the facilities made possible by space exploration. The development of aerospace science will be indispensable in future. "Through the launching of this exhibition, it is our wish that Hong Kong people could learn more about the development and contribution of Chinese aerospace science and technology and theirapplication in our daily life," said Chiu. Over 30 items of mock-ups and models as well as pictures and display panels will be shown in four zones, namely "Shenzhou" Spacecraft, Launch Vehicles, Satellites and Application of Aerospace Technology. Among the exhibits, there are nine different models of the Long March launch vehicles. The Long March series are indigenously designed and developed by China for aerospace transportation. An array of these Long March launch vehicles is able to launch satellites of various functions into low earth orbits, sun-synchronous orbits and geostationary-transfer orbits. By the mid-2000, a total 61 launches of the Long March rockets have deployed 68 satellites into the destined orbits, of which 27 were developed by other countries. With a success rate of over 90 per cent, China has reached the world's standard of launching rockets. China has also achieved a record of successfully launching 19 rockets in a row over the last three years. The exhibition is jointly organized by Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong Space Museum and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |