Chongqing- Where are we? Where are we going? Those sound like such philosophical questions, but perhaps you can find the answers in the exhibition! On the afternoon of June 29, the press conference of the official aerospace art exhibition (Chongqing Station) of China Aerospace Science and Cultural Innovation (CASCI), "Boundless," was launched in Chongqing.
The exhibition opens to the public on July 1 at Metropolitan Oriental Plaza in Jiefangbei and will last until October 16. At the conference, the organizer officially indicated that the exhibition would offer audiences a chance to fulfill their wishes to travel in space and explore the boundaries of the universe in Chongqing.
The aerospace art exhibition (Chongqing Station) of (CASCI), "Boundless," has arrived in Chongqing (Photo provided to iChongqing)
The exhibition's first stop was in Shenzhen in July last year, with more than 200,000 people visiting the exhibition. According to China Aerospace Construction Group, the Chongqing station is the third time launched exhibition; the area and content are better than the previous two.
2021 is a year of significant achievements in China's aerospace industry. In 2021, Shenzhou 13 sent astronauts to the space station, Zhurong Mars Rover landed on Mars, the Tianhe core module was successfully launched into orbit, and the Chinese space station astronauts came out of the cabin for the first time. Therefore, under this circumstance, "Boundless" was exhibited.
The space suit (Photo provided to iChongqing)
With the previous experiences of Shenzhen Station and Chengdu Station, the aerospace art exhibition, CASCI "Boundless" (Chongqing Station) restored the vast universe so that everyone could experience the space more closely. In order to better restore scenes in the universe, the exhibition covers a total area of 3,000 square meters. The 14 major venues at CASCI "Boundless" are decorated to create a feeling of mystery. At the same time, on-site details, such as the real appearance of the space vehicles, are presented to the public with 100% similarity.
The passageway in the exhibition is simulated as a scene inside the space station (Photo provided to iChongqing)
For example, there are the 1:1 scale models of Chang'e 1 (an unmanned Chinese lunar-orbiting spacecraft), Chang'e 3 (a robotic lunar exploration mission), and Chang'e 5 (the fifth lunar exploration mission of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, and China's first lunar sample-return mission). In addition to those models, there is also a huge ring screen that simulates the lunar surface scene. All decorations presented in the exhibition hall of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program make people feel like they have landed on the moon.
Yutu, a robotic lunar rover that formed part of the Chinese Chang'e 3 mission to the Moon (Photo provided to iChongqing)
The most popular part of the exhibition is the 1:1 scale replica of the reentry module of Shenzhou. Visitors can directly walk into the reentry module to explore what it is like. In addition, the giant rocket model, the holography of simulating interstellar travel, and the interactive experience of the Hyper Universe are also worth visiting and experiencing.
The 1:1 scale replica of the reentry module of Shenzhou (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Many parts of the entire exhibition, such as the simulation of Martian dust storms, use new media art, installation art, and various visual effects. Organizers of the exhibition hope to attract more people to enjoy the exhibition through these more accessible visual expressions. This is also the original intention of the exhibition. It is not textbook preaching but a hope that everyone can enjoy an immersed experience and feel the vast universe, therefore, learning about the achievements of China and the world in spaceflight.
Zhao Chuandong, one of China's first astronauts, also came to the press conference. "It is a useful supplement to the current aerospace science," Zhao Chuandong said. China's aerospace industry is developing rapidly, and aerospace science has a very important role in improving the scientific literacy of the whole people. He hopes this exhibition will attract more children to taste the charm of China's aerospace industry and fall in love with aerospace science.