The Hong Kong Space Museum will launch a new thematic exhibition, "The Pioneer Interstellar Mission and Beyond", tomorrow (October 26) to introduce the technology and discoveries of the two Pioneer spacecraft, which were launched in the 1970s, and the implications for future space exploration.

     The Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft were launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States in 1972 and 1973 respectively. They travelled through the asteroid belt to explore the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, and studied the solar wind, cosmic rays and heliosphere along the way. Judged by the standards of their time, the Pioneer spacecraft were equipped with innovative scientific instruments, such as a photopolarimeter for taking planetary images and a radioisotope thermoelectric generator for electrical power supply, to name just a few. The information obtained by the Pioneer spacecraft is invaluable. They captured the earliest close-up images of Jupiter and Saturn, confirmed for the first time Jupiter's intense magnetic field and discovered a new ring of Saturn. Although the two spacecraft have lost contact with NASA since 2003 and 1995 respectively, they are both carrying a "message in a bottle" on board - a metal plaque that depicts, along with a pair of male and female figures, symbols that are designed to provide information about the origin of the spacecraft.

     The exhibition is divided into seven sections that expound on the flight trajectories and the different components of the spacecraft, their working principles and the epochal discoveries made by the Pioneer spacecraft as well as their unending interstellar journeys. Highlights include interactive exhibits that introduce the power source and the imaging principle of the spacecraft. Visitors can also create their own "message in a bottle" during their visit.

     The exhibition will be held from tomorrow to May 29 next year at the foyer of the Hong Kong Space Museum, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. For details of the exhibition and relevant programmes, please visit the website at hk.space.museum/en_US/web/spm/exhibitions/special-exhibitions/the-pioneer-interstellar-mission-and-beyond.html or call 2721 0226 for enquiries.

     In order to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, visitors are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code with their mobile phones/other mobile devices before being allowed to enter the museums for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. In accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation (Cap. 599L) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, all persons entering indoor venues under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) must comply with the relevant requirements of the Vaccine Pass. According to the latest requirement on the Vaccine Pass announced by the Government, all persons with their Vaccine Pass QR codes displayed in red or amber are not allowed to enter museums under the management of the LCSD.

Ends/Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Issued at HKT 17:15

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