With the success of China's manned docking of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and Tiangong-1 space lab module, the country continues to enjoy breakthroughs in its space program. These technologies are also bringing benefits to the Chinese people in their daily life.
Shanghai Aerospace Power Research Institute designed and produced the power and heating system on the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and Tiangong-1 space lab. Their equipment allowed Chinese astronauts to enjoy for the first time, hot meals in space.
Now the technology is being used to power green energy cars. Many leading car companies in China are relying on the lithium cells produced by its research institute.
Wang Dong, general manager of Shanghai Aerospace Power Technology, said, "We apply space technology to our products because we have no doubt of the safety and reliability of the technology."
Industry is certainly not the only sector that is benefiting from space technology. Many farmers have witnessed changes on their fields.
These egg plants were grown from seeds that were specially mutated in space on-board the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft last year. The seeds under went mutation breeding in zero gravity, which creates plants with different traits from those grow on earth.
Luo Aiyu from Space Breeding Research Center, Gansu Province, said, "The biggest egg plant here weighs about 4 kg, almost as heavy as a watermelon."
Experts say the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization have confirmed the safety of food grown from space mutation breeding. Seeds that have been specially modified in space will be planted in 26 provinces across China.
(CNTV.cn July 6, 2012) |