Moon rocks land in Bangkok
China sends lunar rubble dug up by the Chang'e spacecraft abroad for first time
Bangkok residents and visitors have been invited to view lunar rocks with their own eyes in an upcoming exhibition at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC).
Moon rocks collected by Chinese spacecraft Chang'e 5 will be exhibited at the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT)’s booth during “SCI Power for Future Thailand” from July 22-28. Admission is free.
“This will be the first time that China has exhibited lunar rocks abroad,” NARIT announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The exhibition is a collaboration with the China National Space Administration.
Chang'e 5 launched on November 24, 2020 and was the first Chinese spacecraft to return with samples from the Moon’s surface.
It collected around 2 kilos of lunar soil and rocks as part of a project to establish an international research station on the Moon.
Visitors to the event can also view Thailand’s contribution to the Chang'e 7 mission, due to launch in 2026.
The “Moon-Aiming Thai-Chinese Hodoscope” will be one of seven pieces of equipment aboard the spacecraft when it takes off. The Thai technology will aid lunar resource exploration and study the impact of cosmic rays on the Sun, Earth and Moon.
Other cutting-edge space tech showcased at NARIT’s booth will cover optics, photonics, mechatronics, radio wave, digital signals, space technology, atmospheric science and high-resolution moulding.
