Thai King, Queen View China’s Aerospace Progress in Beijing

BEIJING, Nov 18 (TNA) - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana on Saturday visited the Beijing Aerospace City to observe China's advancements in aviation and space technology.

The royal couple was received by Mr. Chen Mingbo, Chairman of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), and Professor Li Daming, CEO and President of the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), along with other executives.

Their Majesties The King and Queen were briefed on the Beijing Aerospace City, a hub for China's modern space management and technology development located in the northwestern suburbs of the capital.

They viewed an exhibition showcasing the country's space development, including over 480 successful satellite and probe launches since 1970, which cover telecommunications, navigation, crewed missions, and remote sensing. 

Highlights included actual space vehicles and models such as the DFH-1 satellite, the Shenzhou-5 crewed spacecraft, and the Chang'e-1 uncrewed lunar probe.

Chinese aerospace executives presented King Maha Vajiralongkorn with a model of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe, which recently made the world's first successful landing on the far side of the moon to collect rock and soil samples for unprecedented study.

The facility also houses the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, a major integrated medical and engineering institution for human spaceflight, and the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center (BACC), which manages and monitors space missions, deep space exploration, and international cooperation.

The BACC, founded in 1996, is where Chinese presidents have historically held remote conversations with astronauts in orbit, and it remains a restricted area of the Chinese government. -819 (TNA)