Humans have a fascination with the unknown and we know very little about outer space. When it comes to exploring our solar system, let alone the universe, mankind has barely managed to scrape the surface. Dreams of space exploration have long had a strong hold on the human imagination.

An interactive exhibition featuring the development of China's manned space program opened to the public at the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing on March 18, taking visitors as close to space as possible without leaving Earth.

Co-hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the Fly Into Space exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and gives visitors the excitement of space travel.

Divided into six sections, Journey Through Time, Fighting for Dreams, Realizing the Space Dream, Aerospace Homeland, Aerospace Dining, and Future Tunnel, the exhibition features the daily tasks of astronauts plus themed displays explaining time tunnels and life in space.

Interactive technologies, including virtual reality and 3D displays, demonstrate the development of China's manned space program, the selection and training of astronauts and the launch of a spacecraft and life in orbit. BR

(Text and photos by Wei Yao)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

Comments to dingying@bjreview.com