Galaxy Forum China 2024: space unity & exploration

Experts at the Galaxy Forum China 2024 emphasized the importance of international cooperation in space exploration, youth education and female engagement, highlighting themes such as international human moon landings, studying the moon and astronomy from the moon and overviewing the solar system in the 21st century.

The forum was held in Wenchang, Hainan province, which has a major domestic aerospace launch center, from Dec 8 to 12. The Galaxy Forum is the International Lunar Observatory Association's global education and outreach program, which started in 2008 in the United States. In the 16 years since, 116 Galaxy Forums have been held in 30 locations worldwide, with 550 presentations. China has hosted the forum 10 times.

Former NASA astronaut Don Thomas captured the transformative impact of space exploration, saying: "If you could look out the window from space, your life would be changed. You see how fragile the Earth is. How thin the atmosphere is protecting us."