STORY: Lunar soil sample from China's Chang'e-5 mission under spotlight in Bangkok
SHOOTING TIME: recent footage
DATELINE: July 29, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:00
LOCATION: Bangkok
CATEGORY: SCIENCE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the exhibition
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Thai): VICHITRA PUTAKHAM, Bangkok resident
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Thai): TANNYA NEESANANT, Thai elementary school student
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Thai): CHINNAPAT RUKEN, Thai high school student
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Thai): SUPPAWAT ZHOU, Staff member at the exhibition
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): SARAN POSHYACHINDA, NARIT head

STORYLINE:

A rare opportunity to see soil from the moon in person captivated crowds as the lunar sample from China's Chang'e-5 mission was under the spotlight in Bangkok.
   
Under collaboration between the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) and the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the lunar sample was featured as one of highlights at Sci Power for Future Thailand Fair that concluded on Sunday.
   
The exhibit is a portion of samples that Chang'e-5 lunar probe collected, one of the most complicated and challenging missions in China's aerospace history.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Thai): VICHITRA PUTAKHAM, Bangkok resident
"News of the lunar soil exhibition caught my interest as I learned about it from television and online news. I'm unable to personally experience the moon's surface, so such an opportunity should not be missed."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Thai): TANNYA NEESANANT, Thai elementary school student
"(Seeing the lunar soil,) I felt quite excited, and I'm very curious. It looks more like sand than soil, something I've never seen before."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Thai): CHINNAPAT RUKEN, Thai high school student
"Before coming here, I had assumed that the lunar soil would be in larger chunks. But then I discovered that it is finer and more delicate than sand found on Earth. It has its own unique color."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Thai): SUPPAWAT ZHOU, Staff member at the exhibition
"Visitors of all age groups have come to this exhibition. It's also the first time that lunar soil has been showcased in Thailand. This signifies the trust between Thailand and China."

In April, China and Thailand signed two memorandums of understanding to cooperate on exploration and peaceful use of outer space as well as on an international lunar research station.

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): SARAN POSHYACHINDA, NARIT head
"I think collaboration between China and Thailand is looking very well indeed and we look at China as a good model, not only in space but in science in general. That's why we like to collaborate and learn from our Chinese counterparts a lot. I think collaboration with China is very crucial."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Bangkok.
(XHTV)