Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

China has scored huge success as its Chang'e-3 spacecraft deployed the Yutu rover on the moon, exerting enormous influence upon the nation and the world at large, as well as enlightening people with more profound knowledge of the significance of lunar exploration activities in the realms of science, technology, economics, politics and society.

Because lunar exploration calls for intensive integration of sophisticated technologies, the Chang'e-3 mission has driven the development of technologies, including new energy conversion, new materials, photoelectrons and telecommunications, which have already been or will be applied to the national economy and defense industries. There is no denying that lunar exploration technologies and accomplishments will benefit mankind.

The Apollo program carried out by the US in the 1960s and 1970s serves as a typical example. This grand project helped establish the US' leading position in astronautics, and earned it an incredible reputation and provided firsthand information and experience about the moon and lunar space. The technological breakthroughs made via the project have laid a solid foundation for later space missions and been widely used to spur economic growth.

According to a report by Carl Zeiss, Project Apollo boosted the US economy by 2 percent, reduced the price index by the same percent and created around 800,000 jobs. Besides, the US national revenue was $406.2 billion in 1958, but $864 billion in 1968, which also partly came as a result of the human spaceflight program.

In addition, the exploration activities promoted the development of key science and interdisciplinary subjects, so technologies concerned have in turn spurred economic growth and ensured national security.

For instance, the "liquid cooled suit" was invented during the Apollo program and once used by China in combating the rampant Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2003. Intensive care units are also an achievement brought about by astronautic technologies. In 2004, an advertisement for Nike's new Air Max produced for the 35th anniversary of the Apollo manned mission drew a lot of attention from the public. Nike utilized the technology of the lunar boots worn by then cosmonauts to manufacture the Air Max.

Similarly, the Chang'e-3 mission will push forward China's sustainable economic development. The nation's fast economic growth has thus far heavily depended on high energy consumption, resulting in severe pollution. The lunar exploration project will propel high-tech development that will advance an economy with low energy consumption, little pollution and high efficiency.

Smog has become a severe problem throughout China and in particular in mega cities like Beijing and Shanghai. With the combustion furnace developed through rocket motor techniques, relevant departments have effectively prevented some hazardous substances from polluting the air.

It is estimated that the fruits of space technologies will be gradually transformed into the driving force for China's various industries. One of our goals of the astronautic industry stipulated by the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) is transforming more space technologies into civil use.

Statistics show that a huge profit of more than $2 trillion has been generated by the industrialization of space technologies in the US. In comparison, China scored just $100 billion from the same sector in 2010. Our revenue from the space industry accounts for only 3 percent of the world total, so we have great potential to further expand the aeronautic and astronautic industry.

Knowledge about the remote celestial bodies will also satisfy people's instinctive curiosity about outer space. It is unswerving exploration that constitutes the endless power for human development and creates glorious human civilization. Despite the fact that space technologies cannot directly solve such urgent problems like housing and hunger, they will bring about a variety of new concepts, methods, craft, materials and energy that are conducive to improving production forces in the long run.

Investments in space projects will pay off in other areas. Numerous practices have demonstrated that any technology, once combined with astronautic technologies, will boast more functions with growing efficiency.

The author is a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Space Technology. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn