BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Lunar samples from the near and the far sides of the moon will be on display at the 16th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) said Tuesday.
Visitors can closely observe the differences between the lunar samples brought back by Chang'e-5 from the near side of the moon and Chang'e-6 from the far side of the moon, Yi Lin, a SASTIND official told a media conference in Beijing, held to announce details of the exhibition.
The airshow is scheduled from Dec. 7 to 13 in Zhuhai, a coastal city in south China's Guangdong Province.
According to Zhang Hu, executive vice governor of Guangdong, the scale of this year's airshow has been expanded, with an indoor exhibition area of 135,000 square meters. More than 3,000 pieces of equipment are expected to be on display, with about 10 percent of them making their debut.
More than 170 aircraft will be showcased in the main exhibition area. Over 1,100 enterprises from nearly 50 countries and regions have signed up to the show, he added.
This year's airshow will use three exhibition areas for the first time, namely a main central exhibition area, an unmanned equipment display area and a maritime equipment display area.
Some of China's latest achievements in aerospace development will be put on display. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation will bring models that include the first-stage engine of a heavy-lift launch vehicle and the main probe of Tianwen-2. The Aero Engine Corporation of China will exhibit nearly 90 types of aero engines, advanced materials and other items.
A forum is also planned to be held alongside the airshow, conducting industry exchanges around topics such as commercial space, space medicine and human health.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of Airshow China. Since its inception in 1996, it has become an important window for showcasing advanced aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment from home and abroad. It has also become an international platform for promoting business cooperation in aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment. ■
