A free exhibition of China's manned space program opens at the Science Museum and the Museum of History from today, with officials hoping it can perk up teenagers' interest in aerospace technology.

The some 30 exhibits include the manned spacecraft re-entry module of Shenzhou-13 and an intravehicular space suit.

This is the first time they are being shown outside the mainland, with their first appearance being in a Beijing exhibition early February, Science Museum director Lawrence Lee Wai-kwan said yesterday.

A seven-minute video of Shenzhou-16's re-entry module's return on October 31 will also be played for the first time.

One zone of the Science Museum exhibition will focus on engineering feats, including a three-tonne Shenzhou-13 spacecraft return capsule, a model of the Tiangong space station and rocket models.

It will also give an idea of what's coming with models of new-generation manned spacecraft and lunar lander.

The Museum of History zone will show the 30-year odyssey of China's manned space program and have a special exhibit in a letter that Hong Kong student Chen Man-lin wrote to astronaut Chen Dong last year when he was on the space station and Chen's reply.

Visitors can also experience space station rendezvous and docking and take selfies with a background in the space station by various interactive equipment in the two museums.

The 17-strong China manned space delegation attended an opening ceremony of the exhibition at the Science Museum yesterday, with Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki saying the hope was that the exhibition would arouse the interest of Hong Kong people, especially the younger generation, in space science, and inspire them to pursue their space dream through building a solid foundation of knowledge in the field of innovation and technology."

The exhibition will open until February 18 and the museums' opening hours will be extended to 10 pm on Fridays, weekends and public holidays until January 1 under the Night Vibes Hong Kong campaign.

Nine delegation members, including astronauts Wang Yaping and Zhang Lu also met 400 students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Students said they were inspired to contribute to aerospace development.

The delegation will be off to Macau today after their four-day in Hong Kong.

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