By Wang Lingshuo
BEIJING, Apr. 18 -- The 9th Space Day of China will be held in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province on April 24, announced the China National Space Administration (CNSA) at a press briefing on the afternoon of April 17.
Lyu Bo, deputy director of the Department of System Engineering of CNSA, said that major aerospace information such as the international payload carrying project of the Chang'e-7 lunar probe mission will be released at the launching ceremony. Besides, the 2024 China Aerospace Image Ambassador will be announced, and the 2023 Qian Xuesen Highest Achievement Award of China Space Foundation will also be awarded.
At the same time, a series of activities will be held across the country to celebrate the Space Day of China. It is reported that relevant domestic departments, universities, associations and other organizations will hold nearly 500 activities on or around April 24. Aerospace academicians, experts and astronauts will deliver science lectures at schools. Relevant aerospace exhibitions and facilities will be opened to the public and students of all levels. Space-themed films and shows and a series of popular science TV programs will also be broadcast during the aerospace event period.
Lyu said that China's aerospace engineering tasks will be intensively implemented in 2024. The Chang'e-6 mission of the fourth phase of the Chinese lunar exploration program will land in the South Pole-Aitken basin on the back of the moon and bring back samples. The manned space project will see the launches of Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceflight missions. Moreover, commercial spaceflight has been included in the government work report for the first time and will create a new growth engine.
